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

TheRiseandRetreatof theNewWorldOrder 281

patriotismoftheAmericanbusinesscommunitywouldbedevastating.
Ifbigbusinessis nolongerAmericaninanyrealsense,whatrightdoesit
havetoinfluencetheformationofAmericanforeignpolicy,ordomestic
policyforthatmatter?
WhatHamiltoniansfailedtograspwasthedegreetowhichJack-
sonianopinionsawthemultinationalcorporationasa suspectagent.If
corporations,orratherthepeoplerunningthem,losethatbasicgutsense
ofloyaltytotheAmericanpeopleandtheAmericanstate,thentheycross
animportantline.Theyarenolongertrustedandesteemedmembersof
theAmericanfolk;theyarealienswhoseintentionscannotbetrusted.
JacksoniansuspicionsthatAmericanfinanciersandindustrialistswere
hirelinglackeysofBritaincreatedmanypoliticalproblemsforHamilto-
niansinthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturies;a newsuspicionthatthe
corporateworldhasfallenundertheswayofforeigninterestsandalien
loyaltiescanhavelong-termconsequencesinAmericanpolitics.
ThealienationbetweenJacksonianAmericaandthecorporateelite
thatgrewupafter 1973 couldbethemostsignificantdevelopmentin
Americanpoliticssince thecivil rightsmovement. Therewereclear
signsinthe1990Sthatpopularopinionwasturningagainstthebusiness
elite.Largejuryawardstoplaintiffsincivilsuitswithcorporatedefen-
dantswereoneresultofthis alienation;a growingdisgustwiththe
waycorporatepoliticalcontributionswereaffectingthepoliticalprocess
wasanother.Campaignfinancereforminitiativeswerepassedintolaw
throughreferendumsinMaine,Missouri,Arkansas,California,Colo-
rado,Montana,andNevada.JacksonianpoliticalinsurgentslikePerot,
McCain,andVenturafoundcampaignfinancetobeahot-buttonissue
withanaudiencethatwentfarbeyondthetraditionalleft-wingcriticsof
thecorporatesectors.
Theeconomicupturnofthe1990Sbegantoreducethesocialtension
andpolarizationoftheprevioustwodecades,butattheturnofthecen-
turytheHamiltonianinternationalagendawas stillconstrainedbyan
inchoatebutstrongoppositionbasedon'deep-seatedquestionsabout
boththeconsequencesoftheHamiltonianagendaforordinarypeople
andthedegreetowhichlargecorporationscouldstillbeconsideredpart
oftheAmericannationalcommunity.Whethertheissuewasfast-track
authorityforthepresidentorsupportfortheWorldBankandtheIMFin
theeventthatnewfinancialcrisesdemandednewbailouts,Hamiltonians
livedwithanuneasysensethat,despitemorethana decadeofunrivaled
economicsuccess,theycouldnolongercountoncongressionalbacking.