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

ChangingtheParadigms 69

Alltheseforcesactingtogethercontributedtoa seachangeintheway
manyAmericanslookedatforeignpolicy.Withoutcontemporaryexperi-
ence ofthe consequencesofinternationaleconomic interdependence,
manyAmericanscametobelievethatinternationaleconomicpolicynei-
therwasnorshouldbenor,indeed,everhadbeena centralconcernof
foreignpolicy.Theycame,inotherwords,tosharetheoutlookofConti-
nentalrealismontherelativeunimportanceofeconomicissuesininter-
nationalaffairs.
OncetheAmericanpeoplehadforgottenthewaythatinternational
economicforceshadoncedrivendomesticpolitics,themythofvirginal
isolationentombedwithinthemythoftheColdWarlookedveryplau-
sible.OnceeconomicissuesdropoutofthehistoryofAmericanforeign
policy,foreignpolicydiminishesfroma majorobsessionofnineteenth-
centuryAmericanpoliticsintoanoccasionalhobby.Judgingonlybythe
importanceofpoliticalandmilitaryissues, Americaninvolvementin
world affairs throughoutthenineteenthcenturylooked, withouttoo
muchsquinting,tobejustasepisodicandmarginalasthemythofthe
ColdWarsaiditwas.
Theimmediacyandthehorriblyvividnatureofthesecuritythreats
oftheColdWareraalso reinforced theideathata virginal,isolated
UnitedStateshadcomeofageina dangerousworld.Theloomingmen-
aceoftheSovietUnion,stillwrappedintheprestigeoftheRedArmy's
militarilydecisivecontestagainstNaziGermanyandbolsteredby.a
growingnuclearcapacity,andtheominousrumblingsfromCommunist
ChinawerenewkindsofthreatsforAmericans,aswastheexperienceof
leadingthefightfor worldorderas opposedto fightinginBritain's
shadow. TheUnitedStates had movedfrom beingone greatpower
amongmanyintherelativelybenignclimateofthePaxBritannicatoa
positionofglobalhegemonyatatimeofprofoundinternationalpolitical
crisisandundertheunprecedentedshadowofthermonuclearwar.James
BuchananandGroverClevelandhadneverfacedanythinglikethis.
OtherfactorsalsocontributedtotheriseofContinentalrealisminthe
UnitedStatesduringtheColdWar.FromtheGreatDepressionthrough
WorldWarIIandtheColdWar,thefederalgovernmentsteadilybecame
larger,morepowerful,andmoresecretive.Withintheburgeoninggov-
ernment,powerflowedawayfromCongresstowardwhatbecameknown
astheimperialpresidency.Acultureofsecurityclearancesandclassified
datagrewupinwhathadoncebeenthemostopencapitalintheworld,
andpresidentsoftheUnitedStates,whooncetraveledvirtuallywithout
pomp,nowneverlefthomewithoutacontingentofbodyguardsthat