"Alliance - in international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third"

This quote by Ambrose Bierce is a negative view of global alliances. It suggests that 2 nations that form an alliance are just doing so to benefit themselves, and not out of any sense of commitment or relationship. The quote suggests that the 2 nations are so deeply intertwined that they are not able to make the most of a 3rd nation without the other's help. This suggests that the alliance is not based upon trust or shared regard, but rather on a desire to exploit each other for their own gain. The quote implies that alliances are not formed out of a sense of loyalty or relationship, however rather out of a desire to make use of each other for their own gain. This negative view of global alliances recommends that countries must be wary of forming alliances, as they might be more detrimental than useful in the long run.