The Twelve-Step Recovery Program For American Grand Strategy
from
GREAT POWERS:
America and the World after Bush
By Thomas
P. M. Barnett
1. ADMIT THAT WE AMERICANS
ARE POWERLESS OVER GLOBALIZATION.
2. COME TO BELIEVE THAT
ONLY A BIPARTISANSHIP FAR GREATER THAN THAT DISPLAYED BY OUR NATIONAL
LEADERS CAN RESTORE SANITY TO AMERICA'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
3. MAKE THE DECISION TO
COORDINATE ALL ELEMENTS OF AMERICA'S NATIONAL POWER ACCORDING TO A
GRAND STRATEGY THAT WE HAVE COLLECTIVELY DEFINED.
4. MAKE A SEARCHING AND
FEARLESS MORAL INVENTORY OF THE "GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR."
5. ADMIT TO THE WORLD AND
TO OURSELVES THE EXACT NATURE OF OUR MISTAKES IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
6. WE ARE ENTIRELY READY
TO WORK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO REMOVE THE DEFECTS OF WARTIME
INJUSTICE.
7. HUMBLY ASK THE INCOMING
PRESIDENT TO REVERSE AMERICA'S RECENT UNILATERALISM.
8. MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE GREAT POWERS WHOSE NATIONAL INTERESTS WE HAVE HARMED, AND BECOME WILLING TO MAKE CONCESSIONS TO THEM ALL.
9. MAKE DIRECT OVERTURES
TO VIOLENT NONSTATE ACTORS WHENEVER POSSIBLE, EXCEPT WHEN DOING SO WOULD
DAMAGE EXISTING ALLIANCES.
10. CONTINUE TO REVIEW OUR
GOAL OF ACCELERATED DEMOCRATIZATION AND, WHEN WE ARE WRONG IN OUR STRATEGIC
APPROACH, PROMPTLY ADMIT IT.
11. SEEK TO CREATE STRATEGIC
ALLIANCES WITH RISING POWERS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC LINKAGES AND MILITARY-TO-MILITARY
COOPERATION.
From GREAT POWERS, to be published by G. P. Putnam's on February 5, 2009.
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Comments (5)
To concentrate on just one aspect [in point 12]: 'America must try to sell its grand strategy to the world.'
Until the strategy is sold, essentially to the newly rich countries - the ones with big trading surpluses - the US will no doubt want to borrow infinite trillions from them. Both to stimulate its economy and to maintain/increase levels of national/international public services. Will these countries want to lend, politically?
Moreover international loans are becoming difficult to attract. In fact the default premium on American debt is now said to be higher than for McDonald's, the fast food chain. Will the newly rich countries want to lend, commercially?
Put this on the agenda of the G20 which meets in London in April?
Posted by IJ | January 10, 2009 10:35 AM
6. WE ARE ENTIRELY READY TO WORK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO REMOVE THE DEFECTS OF WARTIME INJUSTICE.
All injustice, particularly as occasioned by war, is a defect of global relations that we wish to remove.
7. HUMBLY ASK THE INCOMING PRESIDENT TO REVERSE AMERICA'S RECENT UNILATERALISM.
Civilized nations, even former/current allies, will at times strongly (reasonably or unreasonably) disagree on a particularly serious global threat/concern/urgency. Effective timely (and intrusive) unilateral action may be seen (by one or a very few nations) to be a more responsible, wiser, and more prudent choice of action than ineffective non-intrusive multilateral action/inaction.
Posted by Gilbert Garza | January 11, 2009 12:56 AM
I'm attending a two day seminar on Counterterrorism at the Cato Institute next week. I copied your "12 step program" so I would have it available for talking points as it eloquently captures (and adds substance to) my view of the world. Your comments that we owe the world a bit of humility particularly resonated with me.
I look forward to your next book.
Posted by Al Alborn
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January 11, 2009 6:58 AM
I should have added, I copied the "12 step program" into my Blackberry. I mention this because others might want to follow suit.
Posted by Al Alborn
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January 11, 2009 7:00 AM
Funny, but now I get emails asking if I'm recovering!
Why doesn't anyone ask me if I'm going to hell?
Posted by Tom Barnett | January 12, 2009 11:35 AM