292 SPECIALPROVIDENCEfersoniansworrythatthiswouldinvolvetheUnitedStatesinendless
quarrelsandwars;additionallythisideaissoradicallyunacceptableto
countrieslikeChinaandRussiathattoproceedfardownthiscourserisks
seriousinternationaltrouble.
InthewaningyearsoftheClintonadministration,Wilsoniandiplo-
mats worked to address theirgrowing isolation. Secretary ofState
MadeleineAlbrightlauncheda charmoffensiveinthedirectionofJesse
Helms,theJacksonian/Jeffersonian NorthCarolinianthenserving as
chairoftheSenateForeignRelationsCommittee.Shemetwithlittle
success, however,inaltering Helms'spolicy views. UNAmbassador
Richard Holbrookewentfurther andaccomplishedmore, seekingto
accommodateHelms'sviews whileadvancingWilsoniancauses. Hol-
brooke'sgreatestsuccesswastowinHelms'ssupportfortherepayment
ofoverdueU.S.duestotheUnitedNationsfollowinga negotiationthat
wasalmostasdifficultastheBalkanpeaceprocessthatledtotheDayton
Accords.
Bytheendofthetwentiethcentury,Wilsonianswerecomingtoreal-
izethatthekeyconstraintsontheirabilitytobuildtheglobalorderthey
hadlongsoughtdidnotcomefromhostileexternalpowersbutfrom
theirlimitedpoliticalresourcesinsidetheUnitedStates.Thelimitson
Wilsonianpolicywereneitherfixednorabsolure.Underfavorablecir-
cumstances,WilsonianscouldbouncetheUnitedStatesinto theocca-
sionalhumanitarianwar;whenthesun,themoon,theplanets,andall
thestarslinedupright,theSenatemightevenratifyanoccasionaltreaty.
Failingwar, therewas pork.OnsmallermattersWilsonianswere
consistentlyabletodevelopandfunda networkofinitiativesthrough
suchorganizationsasthe.NationalEndowmentforDemocracyandthe
NationalDemocraticInstitute,whichactedtopromotedemocraticmove-
mentsandinstitutionsabroad.Theywerealsoabletowinsignificant
funding,oftenchanneledthroughWilsonianNGOs,forhumanitarian
reliefeffortsoutsidetheUnitedStates,althoughsupportformostforms
ofAmericanforeignaidsteadilydeclined.
Yet itwas abundantlyclearthat Wilsonianslacked thedomestic
politicalstrengthconsistentlytoimplementtheirforeignpolicy. The
sameforcesthatblockedUnitedStatesmembershipinWilson'sLeague
andthatkepttheUnitedStatesoutofthePermanentCourtofJusticein
the1920SwerestillcapableofblockingcrucialWilsonianinitiatives
earlyinthetwenty-firstcentury.Toopowerfultobeignored,Wilsonians
weretooweaktoimposetheirideasonthepolicyprocessina consistent,
effectiveway.