America's future has never seemed more uncertain. Overhanging every issue is a loss of confidence in democracy itself, both in America and around the world, and the concomitant rise of authoritarianism as a viable model of governance in the eyes of millions. At the centre of this story are two nations, Russia and China, that together stand as a profound challenge to the American and Western future, and to the future of democracy and human rights around the globe. If the United States is to prevail in this struggle, its efforts must begin with a better understanding of its determined adversaries in Beijing and Moscow.
