Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

ChangingtheParadigms 97

guidancetheAmericanRepublichasenjoyeda farhappierpoliticaland
materialexistencethananyothercommonwealthofcomparablesizein
thehistoryoftheworld.
"[A}llexperiencehathshewn,"asJeffersonwroteintheDeclaration
ofIndependence,"thatmankindaremoredisposedtosuffer,whileevils
aresufferable,thantorightthemselvesbyabolishingtheformstowhich
theyareaccustomed."Jeffersondidnotknow,butwedo,whathappens
whenformorethantwocenturiesa formofgovernmentandsetofgov-
erningprinciplestowhichthepeopleareaccustomedhaveprovedtobea
fontofblessingandanarkofsecurity.Thepeoplebecome passionately
attachedtotheseprinciplesandthoseforms,andtheywillmakeanysac-
rificetoholdthemfast.
InthedecadestocometheUnitedStatesofAmericawillneedthis
kindofsupportforitsforeignpolicy.Inthisnewcenturythetraditional
concernsoftheAmericanpeople-worldorderwithallthatthatimplies,
andthemilitarystrengthandpoliticalwilltodefendit-willbeascriti-
calasever.
ThegreatpoliticaldebatesintheUnitedStatesoverwhatkindof
ordertobuild,andhowtobuildanddefendit,willbecomplexand
manysided.Theresourcesneededforsuccessfulpolicywillinevitably
sometimesbegreat;thesacrificesofblood,treasure,andcomfortmaybe
evenmoreformidablethananythingexactedinAmericanhistoryto
date.
ForAmericanforeignpolicytohavethebestchanceofbringingabout
thefree,prosperous,andpeacefulworldthatAmericans-togetherwith
thecitizensofmostothernationsintheworld-want,Americanpublic
opinionwillneeda frameworkofdebateanddecisionmakingthatit
trusts.Ifpossibleourforeignpolicyshouldbeabletocommandthesame
loyaltyanddepthofunderstandingthatourdomesticpoliticalstructures
enJoy.
InthecontextofAmericanpolitics,themostlikelywaytoachieve
thisgoalwillbetocultivateaninformedpublicopinionthatunder-
stands thebig sweepingpictureofAmericanforeignpolicythrough
history,thatcanfollowdebatesbasedonanalogyfromBritishaswell
as Americanexperience,andthatcantrace theforeign policyofthe
momentbacktothecorefoundinginsightsandapproachesthathave
guidedthecountryfromthebeginning.
Reconnectingwiththepastwillnotclosedowndiscussionanddebate
overforeignpolicy,norwill itbranddissentfromAmericanforeign