: ▁you ▁assume ▁dis aster s ▁will ▁occur ▁and ▁prepare ▁for ▁the ▁worst . ▁" ▁ ▁- Pro f essor ▁G . ▁John ▁I ken berry , ▁Pr inc eton ▁University ▁ ▁Foreign ▁Affairs , ▁May / J une ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁ ▁Cho osing ▁S ides : ▁Al ignment ▁and ▁Re align ment ▁in ▁the ▁Third ▁World ▁ ▁" A ▁book ▁that ▁see ks ▁to ▁explain ▁why ▁third ▁world ▁leaders ▁change ▁alignment ▁between ▁the ▁USA ▁and ▁the ▁USS R ▁may ▁well ▁seem ▁redundant ▁in ▁the ▁post - C old ▁War ▁world . ▁In ▁fact , ▁this ▁welcome ▁and ▁stim ulating ▁study ▁remains ▁highly ▁relevant ▁to ▁the ▁analysis ▁of ▁third ▁world ▁foreign ▁policies . ▁David ' s ▁central ▁argument ▁is ▁that ▁al liance ▁dec isions ▁must ▁be ▁considered ▁in ▁relation , ▁not ▁merely ▁to ▁a ▁classical ▁' bal ance ▁of ▁power ' ▁theory ▁concerned ▁only ▁with ▁national ▁security , ▁but ▁rather ▁to ▁the ▁overall ▁balance ▁of ▁political ▁forces ▁with ▁which ▁the ▁leader ▁has ▁to ▁cont end , ▁including ▁domestic ▁thre ats ▁which ▁are ▁often ▁more ▁important ▁than ▁external ▁ones . ▁Given ▁this ▁perspective , ▁which ▁he ▁awk ward ly ▁ent it les ▁' om n ib al ancing ', ▁David ▁con cludes ▁that ▁changes ▁in ▁al liance ▁can ▁generally ▁be ▁explained ▁as ▁a ▁rational ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁r uler ' s ▁personal ▁security ▁needs . ▁Though ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁argument ▁is ▁sl anted ▁to ▁appeal ▁to ▁US ▁polic ym akers ▁operating ▁in ▁a ▁b ip olar ▁framework , ▁this ▁theme ▁remains