In practice, aversion to the use of power undercuts the effectiveness of diplomacy. It has been said that power without diplomacy is blind, but it is equally true that diplomacy not backed by power is impotent.
“VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussion and opinion on these policies.” — VOA Charter
Diplomacy’s Aversion to Power: Consequences of Retreat
Posted October 26th, 2016 at 4:03 pm (UTC-4)
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Infrastructure as a Tool of Foreign Policy
Posted September 7th, 2016 at 11:19 am (UTC-4)
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If I were in charge, I would do an about face and reverse America’s formal opposition, skepticism, and attempts to persuade allies not to join the AIIB. I would say, drop the act and join the AIIB because you’ll never be able to influence its policies unless you’re a member.
South Korea Must Learn to Defend Itself — Without America
Posted August 1st, 2016 at 12:07 pm (UTC-4)
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It makes no sense to force the American people to defend the South Korean people if the latter aren’t willing to defend themselves. Washington should not treat security guarantees as international welfare.
A Troubling Turn for U.S. Relations in the Muslim World
Posted July 25th, 2016 at 12:22 pm (UTC-4)
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When he launched his attempt to rebuild U.S. relations with the Muslim world seven years ago, Barack Obama started with Turkey and Egypt, vital allies that seemed to be on the cusp of change….the two countries have…transformed their political systems and relations with the U.S. — the result has been a disaster for U.S. interests.
The Unwavering Alliance
Posted July 19th, 2016 at 10:57 am (UTC-4)
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[N]o one should ever doubt America’s resolve to continue to strengthen the rules-based-order and architecture of the Asia-Pacific region, or our deep and abiding commitment to our alliance…Any political rhetoric to the contrary…should be taken with than a grain of salt on both sides of the Pacific.
How America Stopped Thinking Strategically About the Middle East
Posted June 3rd, 2016 at 11:52 am (UTC-4)
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The absolutely simplest strategic objective might run something like this: Protect American interests. By such a standard, the last 15 years of war have been a massive failure. Imposing a new political order at bayonet-point has failed, squandering trillions of dollars and thousands of lives — while spawning even more violent successors to al Qaeda.
A U.S. Strategy Beyond the Cold War
Posted May 16th, 2016 at 9:21 am (UTC-4)
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Since the Cold War, the United States has been at a loss to define its national strategy. It attempted to respond to 9/11 as it did to Pearl Harbor, with a multi-theater campaign built on conventional force. It tried to create an alliance structure to support its efforts….But this approach has not worked.
The Pentagon Is Endangering Our Economic Ties With China
Posted May 11th, 2016 at 11:25 am (UTC-4)
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America’s economic ties with China have been out of whack with national security policy since Deng Xiaoping’s reforms began opening China in the early 1980s. Business booms, while military and geopolitical competition intensifies.
Trump’s “Madman” Foreign Policy Strategy
Posted May 10th, 2016 at 11:39 am (UTC-4)
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by James Kirchick Perhaps the secret to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is that he actually wants the world to believe he’s crazy. The presumptive Republican nominee’s promise of a return to an “America First” foreign policy isn’t the only aspect of his worldview hearkening back to the past. He also appears to be mimicking the […]
We Have a Stake in Syria, Yet We Have Done Nothing
As with past atrocities, Aleppo’s destruction inspired much high-minded talk and the illusion of action. Endless meetings in the gilded palaces of Geneva and Vienna and elsewhere. Red lines drawn and transgressed with no consequences….the name Aleppo will echo through history, like Srebrenica and Rwanda, as a testament to our moral failure and everlasting shame.