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

ChangingtheParadigms 63

theUnitedStates,thepowerandpresenceoftheBritishnavy,andthe
undevelopedstateoftechnologyinthenineteenthcentury.Duringthis
periodtheAmericanpeopleknewlittleandcared lessaboutforeign
affairs.Isolatedfromtherestoftheworld,Americansdevelopedstrange
andunrealisticideasabourhowtheworldworked.Butnowtheworld
hadchanged,andtheoldideasdidn'tworkanymore.
TheUnitedStateswaslikeagirleducatedina strictconvent,saidthe
ColdWarriors;onceitsteppedoutinto theworld,itspastexperiencewas
ofverylittleuseindealingwithitsnewsurroundingsandsituation.The
Americanpeople,inKissinger'swords,had been"broughtupinthe
beliefthatpeaceis thenormalconditionamongnations,thatthereisno
differencebetweenpersonalandpublicmorality,andthatAmericawas
safelyinsulatedfromtheupheavalsaffectingtherestoftheworld."s
This"conventual"schoolgoesontosaythatitwasbecauseofthishis-
torical inexperiencethat theUnitedStatesadoptedidealisticforeign
policygoalsduringWorldWarI, andalsothroughinexperiencethatthe
UnitedStatestookrefugeinisolationismafteritsrepudiationofthe
TreatyofVersailles.Neverhavinghada foreignpolicybefore,theUnited
Stateswassimplyunpreparedtofacetheworldintowhichitemergedin
thetwentiethcentury.
InwhattheColdWarriorsnevertiredofcallingthat"complex"and
"sophisticated"world,theoldveritiesofa ruralerahadtobediscarded.
Theworldhadshrunk,andAmericanpowerhadgrown. TheUnited
Statescouldnolongersitpeaceablydisarmed,shieldedfromforeigncon-
flictsbythemightyoceansonitsshores.BythetimetheUnitedStates
itselfwasphysicallyattacked,itwouldbetoolatetowinanotherwar.
Itwasthereforenecessarytobuildandmaintainpeacetimealliancesof
justthekindagainstwhichPresidentWashingtonhadsotrenchantly
warned.
NorcouldtheUnitedStatessafelyindulgeitsmoralisticillusions.
Thedreamsofsanctitypropertoa younggirlintheconventhadtobe
discardedinthehurlyburlyoftherealworld.IftheUnitedStateswanted
omelets,it wouldhavetobreakeggs.AccordingtothemythoftheCold
War,becausetheUnitedStateswassouniquelyvirruousandvirginal,
thislessoncamehard.TheinnocentdecencyoftheAmericanpeoplekept
rebellingatthedistastefulbutnecessarymeasuresofamoralrealpolitik
recommendedbyKissingerandhiscolleagues.
InessencetheearlyColdWarriorsendedbyposingtheforeignpolicy
questionsofthedayintermsoftheneedfortheUnitedStatestocastoff