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

ChapterTwo

THE

KALEIDOSCOPE OF

AMERICAN

FOREIGN POLICY

T

heprecedingchapterposeda challengingquestion:Why,with
a recordsoactiveandglorious,isAmericanforeignpolicyheld
insuchlowesteem?Whydodistinguishedobserversandpractition-
ersalikesoroutinelyignoreand/ordisparagetheforeignpolicytradi-
tionsofa countrythathasrisensorapidlyandeveneasilytoa powerand
preeminenceunexampledinhistory?
The mysteryonly deepens whenwe examine the contentofthe
criticismsso widelyleveledagainstAmericanforeignpolicy,pastand
present.Insteadofa clearandconsistentindictment,whatwegetisa
barrageofmutuallyincompatiblecharges:thatAmericanforeignpolicy
istoonaive,toocalculating,tooopenhanded,tooviolent,tooisolation-
ist,toouniversalist,toounilateral,toomultilateral,toomoralistic,too
immoral.
OnelargegroupofdistinguishedcriticsattributespurportedU.S.
failingsinforeignpolicytotheexcessiveinfluenceofdemocraticpublic
opinionontheprocess.WalterLippmann,forexample,haswrittenthat
"They[thepeople}havecompelledthegovernment,whichusuallyknew
whatwouldhavebeenwiser,orwasnecessary,orwasmoreexpedient,to
betoolatewithtoolittle,ortoolongwithtoomuch,toopacifistinpeace