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

ChangingtheParadigms 79

likethatofthe thetraditionalAnglo-Americanapproach.Thepriceof

energyandthesecurityofthenationalenergysupplywillbeaprominent

foreign policyconcern in which security and economic issues, and

domesticandforeignpolicyissues,willbeinextricablylinked.Relations

withothergreateconomicpowers-theEU,Japan,and,increasingly,

China-will requireintegratedapproaches to economicand security

questions.

Thequestionofroguestatesisanotherissuethattakespolicymakers

backtoolderpatternsinAnglo-Americanhistory. Fromhilltribesin

AfghanistantoIslamicextremistsinSudanandhostilenationalistsin

Iraq,Britishpolicymakersandmilitaryleadersfacedmanyofthesame

problemstheirAmericansuccessorsarelookingattoday.Thenecessary

balancingactbetweenlivinguptoidealsandstandardsthatprovide

legitimacytotheworldorderontheonehandandontheotheracting

decisivelyandeffectivelyindefenseofone'scoreinterestswillbea major

problemforAmericandiplomacyintheyearsahead,asitwasforBritish

diplomacyonehundredyearsago.

I

nthepagesthatfollowI willattempttodepicta newparadigm,a
newwayofthinkingaboutAmericanforeignpolicy,thatI hope
canassistpolicymakers,opinionleaders,andthegeneralpublicopinion
thatultimatelycontrolsAmericanforeignpolicyandsetsitslimits.
Mythsneedtobeclear--dearerthantruth,asAchesonsaid-andno
mythisincontrovertible;generalizationshaveexceptions;andthemore
sweepingthegeneralizationsthemorenumerousandmoresignificant
theexceptions.ApicrureofAmericanforeignpolicythatstressesthe
continuitiessince 1789 willinevitablydolessthanfulljusticetothe
manyandsignificantdifferencesthatalsoexist.Butsmallfactsshould
notbeallowedtoobstructourpurpose;theUnitedStatesneedsasaccu-
rate,comprehensive,andclearamythaswecanmake.
WhatI seeas themostpromisingpotentialnewparadigmormyth
forAmericanforeignpolicydependsonfourbasicideas.Thefirstofthese
hasalreadybeenpresented: theideathatforeignpolicy,understoodas
includingquestionsoftherelationshipoftheAmericaneconomytothe
internationaleconomicsystem,hasbeena centralconcernofAmerican
politicsthroughoutourhistory.
ThesecondideaisthatthebasicshapeofAmericanforeignpolicy
throughoutAmericanhistoryhasbeendeterminedbythenation'sinter-