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

TheRiseandRetreatoftheNewWorldOrder 303

Althoughrarelydiscussed,theoffensivepotentialofa nationalmis-
siledefensesystemplayedanimportantrolebehindthescenesofthe
debate. Any systemcapableofdefendingbothitselfandtheUnited
States from missiles and space-based weapons would constitute an
impregnable space-based weapons platform that would provide the
UnitedStateswithanunprecedentedabilitytoprojectforceanywherein
theworld.Conventionalarmies,navies,factories, bases,powerplants,
andcitiesaremucheasiertargetstofindandhitthansmall,rapidlymov-
ingmissiles.Aspace-basedmissilesystemcouldgiveanAmericangov-
ernmenttheabilitytouniversalizeRichardOlney'sstatementandassert
thatthe"UnitedStatesis practicallysovereignonthisplanetanditsfiat
islawuponthesubjectstowhichitconfinesitsinterposition."
Ittakessomeheroicassumptions toreachapointwherea global
OlneyDoctrinewouldbea practicalpossibility.Thespaceweaponssys-
temwouldhavetoworkandtosurvivetheinevitablecountermeasures
attemptedbyotherstates.Ifothercountriestooktheobviousandper-
hapsinevitablestepofdevelopingnewandunconventionalbiological,
chemical,andothercounter-weapons,theUnitedStateswouldhaveto
develop effectivecountermeasures againstthese also. This mayseem
unlikely,expensive,anddifficult,butforJacksoniansinparticularthe
ideaofa globalOlneyDoctrineissuchaglitteringprizethatnoeffort
shouldbesparedtoachieveit.ItistheHolyGrailofJacksonianforeign
policy:a weaponssystemthatdefendsthisnationwhileintimidatingall
others,andthatwouldallowtheUnitedStatestocontroleventsaround
theworldwithoutriskingthelivesofitscitizensoldiers.Thisvision,
moresweepingeventhanthevisionofanumbrellainspaceprotectingus
fromhostilemissiles,liesjustunderthesurfaceofthenationalmissile
defensedebate,anditisonereasonfor thecontinuingand,tomany,
deeplyandpainfullysurprisingabilityofthepassionformissiledefense
tosurvivetherepeateddisappointmentsthatthetechnologiesproposed
toimplementithavesofarconsistentlydelivered.
Deeplydividedonmanyissues,andliabletosplitcompletelyonmis-
siledefense,neithertheglobalistsnorthenationalistscouldcreatean
effectiveandconsistentpolicyforthepost-ColdWarera.AmericanJor-
eign·policymakersinthecomingyears musttrytomovethecountry
pastthisdeadlock.Iftheydon't,theUnitedStateswillsimplydriftinde-
cisively,unabletorespondeffectivelytochangesandchallenges.Ofall
approachestoforeignpolicy,driftis theleastlikelytoachievethebene-
fitsthatanyoftheschoolsseek,anditraisestheprobabilityofdevelop-
mentsthat noneofthe schoolswouldwelcome-perhaps a military