America hasn’t had a coherent foreign policy strategy since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Is the U.S. president still “leader of the free world?” Under what circumstances should America go to war? Should we be doing more or less in the Middle East? In Ukraine? In Asia? Maybe the U.S. has been a superpower for so long that Americans don’t see the need for a carefully considered strategy. Too many of us treat foreign policy challenges as if they’re mainly a test of the president’s will.
It’s time for a debate. It’s not that the country is in decline; America’s political resilience, raw economic power, cultural dynamism, and innovative potential point toward a bright future. But its global influence is very much in decline. The world has changed significantly since 1990: Europe needs U.S. protection far less than it used to, and China, along with many other developing countries, now has the strength and self-confidence to say “no” to U.S foreign policy.