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

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womentoequalpowerandrightsoneofthemostfundamentaldevelop-
mentsallovertheworld.U.S.feminismisperhapsthequalitythatCon-
tinentalrealismwouldconsideritsleastusefulassetfroma foreignpolicy
pointofview;inreality,however,oursuccessfulanddynamicfeminist
movement,togetherwithouradvocacyofequalrightsforwomen in
internationalpolitics,willhelpkeeptheUnitedStatesontherightside
ofhistoryandmakeuspowerfulfriendsandalliesamongemerginglead-
ershipgroupsaroundtheworld.
AnadditionalbenefitprovidedbytheWilsonianschoolisonethat
oughttomakeWilsoniansuneasy.Ineffect,thepowerofWilsonianideas
inAmericanforeignpolicyispervasivebutnotuniversal.Tellitnotin
Gath,publishitnotinthestreetsofAskelon,buttheUnitedStatesdoes
notalwaysconductitsforeignpolicyOnWilsonianlines.Again,thisdid
notstartwiththeworldwarsorwiththeColdWar,norhasitended.
SaudiArabiais oneoftheleastWilsonianplacesonthefaceoftheearth,
buttheUnitedStatescananddoessupportitsroyalfamily.TheUnited
StatessteadfastlysupportedtheveryundemocraticregimeofIndonesia's
seven-termpresidentSuharto,onlywithdrawingthatsupportwhenhis
powerwasobviouslydisintegrating.
I won'tunsettlereadersbyheapingupunpleasantexamples;aquick
glancethroughanatlasora goodnewspapershouldprovideamplefood
forthought.Howfortunateitis,then,thata foreignpolicythatisand
perhapsmustsometimesbeso--well,somorallychallenged-shouldbeso
radiantlygarbedinidealssosublime.Howusefulitisthatsomanypeo-
plearoundtheworldseeWilsonianidealsasdefiningthenormofAmeri-
canforeign policy,andinterpretitsotheraspectsasunfortunateand
temporarydeviationsfromit.
Ineffect theverystrengthand sincerityoftheWilsonian school
allowstheUnitedStatestodosomethingthatdemocraticsocietiescan-
noteasilydoconsciously:toplaythesuaveandaccomplishedhypocrite.
Wilsonians proclaim noble principles and sincerely plan to apply
them-butthen,alas,theysometimeslosepolicybattles.TheClinton
administrationextendedmostfavorednationstatustoChina despitethat
country'sun-Wilsonianapproachtohumanrights.TheUnitedStates
fellfarbehindinitsUNdues,despitetheferventlobbyingofitsWilso-
nianfriends.
YetifWilsoniansaredisappointedbydefeatslikethis,theyarenot
discouraged. Theyseetheir jobasmovingU.S. policy stepby step
towardanideal;theyknowthatprogresswillbehaltingandslow,and