The Age-Old Contest Between Land and Sea

Dan Kurtz-Phelan interviews Sally Paine about her essay in Foreign Affairs, exploring the tension between maritime and continental powers in geopolitics. Paine argues that the current great-power competition is a continuation of this historical tension, with maritime powers like the U.S. focusing on trade and rules, while continental powers like Russia and China prioritize territorial control. She expresses concern that the U.S. is shifting away from its maritime strategies, potentially undermining its security and benefiting its adversaries, and critiques the current approach to foreign policy as lacking foresight and strategic depth, advocating for a return to institution building and international law. The discussion covers the Chinese and Russian strategies, the importance of the rules-based order, and the potential consequences of its decay, drawing parallels to historical events like the lead-up to World War I.