At the twilight of globalization, as the next U.S. National Security Strategy is about to be finalized, America’s current and future strategic choices are being impacted by a misreading of the drivers of state behavior, as well as the degree to which Washington can shape the global systemic transformation lurking over the horizon. The Washington policy community continues to operate on the assumption that the U.S. retains the ability to impose its priorities on other principal players without first incurring additional costs, even though Russia and China have demonstrated repeatedly that the enemy gets a voice when it comes to shaping regional balances close to home and beyond. And so, in the lead up to the publication of the administration’s new National Security Strategy, the policy debate continues to oscillate between, on the one hand, the “Asia first” school and, on the other, growing talk of a more wide-ranging withdrawal, one which would return the United States to a defensive position in the Western Hemisphere and prioritize continental territorial defense.
Author: Andrew A. Michta, Real Clear Wire
Published at: 2025-09-28 22:21:13
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