ABSTRACT
Few will disagree that, in military and political terms, the United States is today the sole superpower. It has no equal or near equal capable of acting as a countervailing power. Indeed, the lead that it has over other major powers is so large that the United States cannot be countervailed even by a combination of powers. In other words, for the first time in many centuries, the balance of power has ceased to operate. The extent of US primacy also means that none of its allies can claim to participate in decision-making on an equal basis. The United States is the leader of the Western alliance, not merely its most influential member.
