The most viable road ahead for the Western way of life leads us to neither absolute victory, nor a victory parade - but it will bide our time until the day we can triumph, writes Professor Joseph M. Siracusa.
Despite involvement in World War I, which should have made it obvious that the US could not insulate itself from world distress and conflict, many Americans still clung to traditional foreign policy attitudes.
Washington became the natural leader of the Free World, while Moscow and Beijing – communists and ex-communists uncannily behave the same way – became uncontested leaders of the totalitarian world.In the matter of foreign policy today, signs are not lacking that US public opinion has outdistanced political leadership.
But the performance of that task awaits the arrival of a President – “the ultimate source of action,” to quote JFK’s apt adage - with the courage and capacity to navigate the course.There are roughly four possible courses of action the US can take in the period ahead: continue what it’s doing; go home; go to war; or maintain the balance of power.The first course amounts to the continuation of current policies, consisting of active and future programs for carrying out these policies.
And even then, the US would remain a thorn in the side of Moscow and Beijing, as there is no way for America to make itself inoffensive to its enemies, except by complete submission. What’s done, would be done, and most Americans would doubtless rally around the flag, clinging to some plausible story.Neither Russia nor China could expect to capitalise on such a development, because American military planners would take them both out at the same time.That was always the play during Cold War – both were targeted for destruction - and nothing much has changed.
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