Josef Joffe

The classic way to force other nations to do what they did not want to used to be war. Today there is a much bigger payoff in "getting others to want what you want," and that has to do with "cultural attraction," "ideology" and "agenda setting." Think of the U.S. as a gambler who, can play simultaneously at every table that matters-and with more chips than anybody else. It is the largest economy, the fastest-running job machine and the world's biggest exporter. Whichever heap you choose, America sits on top of it.