The pervasive belief that US alliances are beyond repair is dangerous. If policymakers accept this fatalistic view, they may cease the difficult work of maintenance and negotiation, inadvertently causing the very collapse they predict.

When trying to influence external partners, start with those most eager to collaborate. This 'coalition of the willing' builds momentum, helps set standards, and creates social pressure for larger, slower-moving players to join the initiative.

Great power competition, regional wars, and fading alliances like NATO are ending the era of globalized supply chains. The future belongs to resilient networks built exclusively among trusted, allied nations, requiring a fundamental business realignment.

To regain mindshare from neglected partners, focus on a "ground game." Start by showing up and listening, then deliver quick, tangible wins like unblocking a renewal or simplifying a painful process. Consistent follow-through rebuilds trust and mindshare faster than most leaders expect.

Instead of pure defense, a proactive, alliance-based 'counter-coercion' strategy is needed. This involves sharing industrial intelligence to identify and hold an adversary's own economic choke points at risk, creating a credible threat of retaliation that deters them from using economic coercion in the first place.

A US industrial renaissance is a 10+ year project at best. The only way to balance against China's massive productive capacity in the short-to-medium term is by forming an "anti-hegemonic coalition" and leveraging the existing industrial power of allies like Japan, Korea, and Europe.

Rather than trying to replicate entire supply chains, Europe's strategy is to secure "indispensability" in specific, high-value niches where it holds an advantage, such as gallium arsenide wafer production. This creates an interdependent "allied autonomy," giving Europe leverage with both China and the U.S.

The most effective way to create stable regional security and trade architectures is to focus on mutual benefits for members. This 'positive agenda' approach is more inclusive and attractive than forming alliances against a third country.

The core of U.S. global power relative to its adversaries is not its standalone might, but its network of alliances. The U.S. is stronger than China because of its East Asian allies and stronger than Russia because of NATO. Eroding the trust within these alliances is a self-inflicted strategic wound.