When it comes to diplomacy, it is a lot harder these days, since the games are no longer played fairly around the world. The current economic uncertainties and political polarization indeed are pushing more Americans, and international audience to think about the strategies, in terms of dealing with wars and conflicts. Trump's diplomacy could work, but how should the strategies better fit into the bigger picture? Is Trump a true blessings for the global order?

Ryan Griffiths focuses on the dynamics of secession and the study of sovereignty, state systems, and international order. He teaches a variety of courses in international relations. His two recent books include: (1) The Disunited States: Threats of Secession in Red and Blue America and Why They Won't Work (Oxford University Press, 2025); and (2) Before Colonization: Non-Western States and Systems in the Nineteenth Century (Columbia University Press, 2025, with Charles Butcher). Previously, he taught at both the University of Sydney in Australia and at John Hopkins University.