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The Question of Hegemony

By William Pfaff
January/February 2001
Article Summary and Author Biography

America's predominance in the world has become the rallying cry of both liberals and conservatives in Washington. But this so-called New Wilsonianism is untenable: as history shows, a superpower inevitably invites opposition.

William Pfaff is a syndicated columnist for the International Herald Tribune in Paris. This article is adapted from a new, expanded edition of his 1989 book Barbarian Sentiments (New York: Hill & Wang).

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