A state's potential power is based on the size of its population and the level of its wealth.

States have two kinds of power: latent power and military power.

The Soviet Union and its empire disappeared in large part because its smokestack economy could no longer keep up with the technological progress of the world's major economic powers.

The sad fact is that international politics has always been a ruthless and dangerous business, and it is likely to remain that way.

In the anarchic world of international politics, it is better to be Godzilla than Bambi.

In the 1930s, Adolf Hitler believed that his great-power rivals would be easy to exploit and isolate because each had little interest in fighting Germany and instead was determined to get someone else to assume the burden. He guessed right.

In an ideal world, where there are only good states, power would be largely irrelevant.