28 SPECIALPROVIDENCEmuchtoteachus.Wedon'tjustdrawluckycards;wealsoplaythegame
well.Overtwohundredyearswehavedevelopedourownuniquestyle,
whichsuits us. Certainlyithasenabledustobecometherichestand
mostpowerfulnationinthehistoryoftheworld.
Given thatthe world is becominga more interdependentplace,
andgiventhatboththedangersandtheopportunitiesofinternational
engagementarerapidlyrising,itseemsreasonabletosupposethatthe
skillfulconductofforeignpolicywillbeatleastasimportanttothehap-
pinessandsecurityoftheAmericanpeopleinthefutureasithasbeen
sofar.
ItisnotonlytheAmericanpeoplewhosehappinessandsecuritywill
begreatlyaffectedbythequalityofAmericanforeignpolicyincoming
years.TheUnitedStateshasbecomethecentralpowerina worldwide
systemoffinance,communications,andtrade.Anydisruptionofthat
systemwillunleashenormouseconomicdistressaroundtheworld.And
despitethemanyimperfectionsandinjusticesthatexistinthepresent
internationalsystem,poorpeopleindevelopingcountrieswillbelikely
tosufferworstfromanymajordisruptions.
Managingboththepoliticalandtheeconomicdimensionsofthis
globalsystem-whileneverforgettingtheimportanceoftheAmerican
andalliedmilitarypowerthatstandsas theultimatesafeguardofthe
toweringedificeofglobalsociety-isanenormousanddemandingtask
thatonlybecomesmorechallengingastheglobalsystemcontinuesto
developandgrow.Americanleaderswillhavetoworkcooperativelywith
alliedandassociatedcountriesaroundtheworldwhilepreservingthe
foundationsofAmericanpower.Theymustdeterothercountriesfrom
challengingthebasicinstitutionsandfeaturesoftheglobalsystemand,
ifnewchallengersliketheSovietUnionshouldriseup,bereadytodefeat
them.Atthesametimetheymustseethattheworldsystemworksfor
othercountriesaswellasfortheUnitedStates;fortheUnitedStatesto
beprosperousandsecuretheymustensurethatdevelopedanddevelop-
ingcountriesalikefinditeasiertoreachtheirnationalgoalsbyworking
withintheglobalsystemthanbytryingtotearitdown.
MyreadinginthehistoryofAmericanforeignpolicytellsmethat
therearerealreasonstohopethatAmericanswillrisetothedizzyingand
dauntingchallengesofthetwenty-firstcentury.ButI havealsobecome
awareofthedegreetowhichournationalignoranceofourownpastsuc-
cessesimpoverishesourforeignpolicyprocesstoday.Ourelitesandour
policy-makerswouldbenefitfroma richer,deeperunderstandingofthe