Paralysis in Congress makes America a dysfunctional superpower

ROBERT GATES, a former defence secretary who served Republican and Democratic presidents alike, recently issued a bleak warning. America faces an unholy alliance of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, yet cannot muster a coherent response. “Dysfunction has made American power erratic and unreliable, practically inviting risk-prone autocrats to place dangerous bets—with potentially catastrophic consequences,” he wrote in .