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

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thatoftentimeshasbeenveryreluctanttograntthemtheirrights.Fred-
erickDouglassfelt-justly,froma Wilsonianstandpoint-thathewas
the"real"American,whiletheracistsandslaveholdersaroundhimwere
defectiveAmericans.The"real"AmericawasonDouglass'sside,evenas
thedefectiveandincompleteAmericaofdailylifetrampledonhissensi-
bilitiesandviolatedhisrightsateveryturn.
Immigrantshavelooked,andstilldolook,attheWilsonianideaof
Americaandhavefoundittobesomethingtheycouldloveandstrivefor
inthefaceofdiscriminationandhardship.AtthesametimeWilsonian
doctrinesendsa messagetononminoritiesthattheyhavea patrioticduty
tomakeroomfortheimmigrants,towelcomethemintothecommunity,
andtostruggleagainstthenationalheritageofracism.Inpeaceandwar
thistraditionbringstheUnitedStatesmanyblessings;withoutitthis
wouldbe~muchweakerandunhappiercountry.
BeyondtheinestimableblessingofmakingtheUnitedStatesa more
inclusive,welcoming,andunitedcountry,Wilsonianpoliticshascon-
ferredanothergreatbenefitonAmericanforeignpolicybyaligningit
withthemajormovementsofcontemporaryhistory.Therehavebeen
twofundamentalmovementsininternationalsocietyoverthelasttwo
centuries:thespreadofdemocracy,andtherisetoindependenceand
developmentofincreasingportionsofthenon-Europeanworld.Some
powershavestoodinthewayoftheseprocesses,andtheypaida ruinous
price.ThankslargelytopressurefromtheWilsonianschool,theUnited
Stateshasgenerallysupportedthesetrends,andreapedcorresponding
rewards.
TheWilsonianpresencehasalsoprovideda strongbaseofpopular
supportforanactive,engagedAmericanforeignpolicy,oftenenoughfor
policiesthatserveHamiltonianends.Asithappensa strongcommonset
ofconcernsdrawsWilsoniansandHamiltonianstogether.Althoughitis
truethattheyoftenquarrelandfight-Chinapolicybeingonevenerable
example,thestrugglebetweenWilsonandLodgeovertheshapeofthe
League ofNationsanother-thetwoschoolsare oftenable towork
togetheronthesetofinterestsandvaluestheyhaveincommon.
Afterall,bothschoolsofthoughtlooktoa stableworldorderasthe
ultimate,best-caseoutcomeoftheiractivities.TheHamiltonianhope
thattherewillbea worldwidetradingandinvestmentsystembasedon
internationallawandenforcedbyhonest,transparentjudiciariesinmany
states-witha WorldCourtperhapsinthebackgroundwhennational
justiceseemsmorebiasedthanaugust--eloselyparallelsmuchofthe
Wilsonianagenda.