Cold war tools alone are insufficient; the West must also maintain attraction and popularity such that others voluntarily choose to join the Western sphere rather than the rival sphere, creating a voluntary non-hierarchical order rather than one requiring coercion, as Cannon wrote.

normativepending

Speaker

Stephen Kotkin

Evidence Quote

you have to have a positive story...Others want to join you rather than them...your sphere of influence is voluntary, non-hierarchical, open...you need to invest in yourself and make yourself something that others want to emulate and join.

Source

Stephen Kotkin: Russia’s Murky Future | Foreign Affairs InterviewForeign Affairs
Created: 8/12/2026, 10:22:55 PM

My Notes

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