Goodbye to American Global leadership
Once upon a time it was Uncle Sam who came to the rescue of other nations but eyes are on Beijing to save Europe. America is not ‘over’ but let’s acknowledge its heyday has passed.
Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people
What’s the Latest Development?
History and international relations professor Andrew J. Bacevich reflects on where once Uncle Sam would have stepped in to save a nation or continent in distress, these days it’s Beijing that’s expected to save Europe’s bacon. The crucial issue here is the shifting expectations underlying the moment. Wasn’t Washington meant to be Europe’s savior in perpetuity?
What’s the the Big Idea?
Bacevich says America is not “over,” but today’s international order bears no more than a passing resemblance to that which existed in the heyday of American power. Everyone else on the planet understands this and it’s time Americans, starting with politicians, do, too, he says. “Should they refuse, a painful comeuppance awaits.”
Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people
