19: U.S. Interests

Promote Our Interests Around the World.

Other Information:

10 Steps to Promote Our Interests Around the World -- In too many places, we have let allies across the world down, and we have given enemies cause to doubt our resolve. Much of this stems from a political leadership that has serious and systemic doubts about America’s role in the world and the purpose of our moral authority in it. “Leading from behind” is the phrase one of the president’s own advisers recently used to describe the president’s foreign-policy approach. It couldn’t be more apt. It’s an approach that views America not as an exceptional leader but, rather, as just one more country in the sea of nations, not intrinsically better or worse than any other nation, not intrinsically better prepared to lead than any other nation. It is an abdication. The tragedy and danger of this is that we are abdicating our role and authority at exactly the wrong time, just when the need for it has never been more important. Just now we need to be reminded of what has made us a role model to others and what has made us so great in the past. There are essentially four fundamentally American contributions to the world that define not only how we have organized our government but how we have organized our lives: First, free markets that are rooted in excellence, hard work, and innovation. Second, religious pluralism where people of faith have the right to pursue their beliefs and not be abused by either their government or a majority. This is the only ground upon which we can truly live in peace with our differences and also advance the moral teachings which are essential for freedom to thrive. Third, generosity and humanitarianism. America has a uniquely robust civil society, as observed almost 200 years ago by Alexis de Toqueville. This is how we primarily “love our neighbor.” We are generous with our time and our treasure. And finally, a system of governance that promotes human flourishing, seeks the common good and maximizes personal liberty. Rule of law, checks and balances, separation of church and state, subsidiarity, and federalism. Our founders understood that man’s nature is inclined toward self and sin, and that no one person or institution should have the opportunity to consolidate power, lest the freedom of others be taken away. By not promoting these uniquely American virtues, we have let down not only ourselves, but our allies and would-be allies. Last year, visiting the United States, Lech Walesa put it this way: The United States is the only superpower. Today they lead the world. Nobody has doubts about it militarily. They also lead economically but they’re getting weak. But they don’t lead morally and politically anymore. The world has no leadership. The United States was always the last resort and hope for all other nations. There was the hope, whenever something was going wrong, one could count on the United States. Today, we have lost that hope. This is a terrible but, I fear, terribly true indictment of what was once known as “the last best hope of earth.” I, however, am an optimist about America’s potential to again lead the world. By reclaiming our legacy of liberty I know we can make ourselves more secure and help the rest of the world become more stable and free. Let me suggest a ten-point plan to reverse our course, restore our greatness, and reestablish America’s standing in the world... I truly do believe we are “the last best hope of earth,” but the “hope” — and, for that matter, the “change” — we have seen over the last two and a half years has been illusory. From the Middle East to Asia to right in our backyard of Latin America, we have been weak where we should have been strong and we have been appeasing of evil where we should have been confronting and challenging it. If we do not reverse course soon, we truly will have something to apologize for.

Objective(s):

19.1: Seeing Reality

19.2: Understanding

19.3: Human Intelligence

19.4: Core Values

19.5: Good and Evil

19.6: Liberty and Democracy

19.7: Humanitarian Aid

19.8: Israel

19.9: Prisoners of Conscience

19.10: History Teaching

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