This chapter contends that the underlying causes of the growing tensions characterizing contemporary world politics stem from inherent contradictions within the post-Cold War international order. Specifically, (1) the unequal nature of neoliberal capitalism and its tendency toward financial crises; (2) the dual-use nature – both civil and military – of the technologies that have propelled neoliberal globalization; (3) the remarkable growth of the Chinese economy and its implications for political and military power; and (4) the incomplete resolution of the Cold War, which left Russia in possession of a vast nuclear arsenal, thereby perpetuating the logic of deterrence – a framework fundamentally at odds with the victors’ declared objective of establishing a rules-based international order. Having identified early manifestations of these structural flaws, this chapter focuses on the conjuncture created by their convergence during the critical year of 2008. It situates the current crisis as part of a broader, long-term, and ongoing process of global transition.