Calm exteriors belie rising tensions in Asia

A snapshot of Asia would show a region with stable societies and growing economies. But we may look back on this as the time the region fell apart, says Richard N. Haass.

History at any moment can be understood as a snapshot, telling us where we are, or as a moving picture, telling us not just where we are but where we have been and where we may be headed. It is a distinction with an enormous difference.