Winston Churchill told a story of an 1895 encounter, as a young cavalry officer, with the statesman William Harcourt. After some discussion of great issues, Churchill asked eagerly: ¡°What will happen then?¡± Harcourt replied, with Victorian complacency: ¡°My dear Winston, the experiences of a long life have convinced me that nothing ever happens.¡±

Few people 130 years later could succumb to any similar delusion in a world that seems to have consigned itself to perpetual turmoil. Most recently, Poland has frightened European capitals by electing a right-wing, anti-European Union president. The British government published a long-awaited strategic defense review, which proposes rearmament to bring about ¡°war-fighting readiness,¡± according to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as Ukraine launched stunning drone strikes against bomber bases deep inside Russia.

There is more. At a conference in Singapore recently, France¡¯s president warned of dire consequences for democracies if Russia prevails in Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian nations to stand up tall against Chinese aggression as Australia¡¯s defense minister challenged China to justify its huge military and naval buildup. His Philippines counterpart said China has been ¡°absolutely irresponsible and reckless in appropriating most, if not all of the South China Sea, and the world cannot tolerate this.¡±