The war offers a chance to re-imagine US foreign policy. But first, stopping the rehabilitation of liberal interventionism is key.
by Michael Brenes, Responsible Statecraft
Writing in The Atlantic late last month, journalist George Parker posited a “new theory of American power,” a liberal internationalism that accounted for a “recognition of limits” for US foreign policy. Packer summed up this strategy toward the end of his essay: “Align US policy with the universal desire for freedom, but maintain a keen sense of unintended consequences and no illusions of easy success.”
This was both a challenge and a promise to Americans wanting to move on from the War on Terror: don’t forget the War on Terror’s failures—and reject its methods (torture and rendition)—but maintain a vision of global “freedom” flourishing through military power. The war in Ukraine, Packer argued, had killed the (now fleeting) popularity of “restraint”—the idea that the United States should scale back its international commitments, cut or remake the military budget to reflect a reduced role for the US in the world, and give up on a strategy of what political scientist Barry Posen has called “liberal hegemony.”
As one would imagine, Packer’s essay caused a stir, if not a visceral loathing, among restrainers. But as historian Samuel Moyn tweeted, Packer’s essay—while gilding liberal internationalism for a rehabilitation of American primacy—reflected the reality that the old order cannot return after the War on Terror, “that a militarism-first option of liberal warmongers can’t simply be revived.”
Recent Posts
Israel’s War On The World
October 17, 2024
Take Action Now Over the years, the U.S. has partnered with Israel in its attacks on the UN, using its veto in the Security Council 40 times to…
The Curious Case of the Dog and the Abortion Pills
October 17, 2024
Take Action Now How the police and the Postal Service can combine forces to crack down on abortion by mailBy Debbie Nathan, Lux It was a tip that…
Is This Israel’s First Apartheid War?
October 17, 2024
Take Action Now Far from lacking a political strategy, Israel is fighting to reinforce the supremacist project it has built for decades between the…
How Can Democrats Win Back The White Working Class?
October 17, 2024
Take Action Now To become a party based among workers again, Democrats must remember that partisan commitment often grows from local roots.By…