“Hyperpower” was the derisive French term for us after we won the Cold War and brought peace and stuff to the other half of Europe and a whole bunch of other places, because nobody can get snooty about greatness like the French. But I don’t think they’re using that word anymore, and I’m guessing neither would Robert N. Tracci:
The rise of the Islamic State, Hamas aggression against Israel, Russia’s revanchism in Eastern Europe and China’s territorial assertion in the Pacific have ended the most recent spell of U.S. isolationist delusion. Disparate in nature, these international crises share common features: exploitation of perceived U.S. weakness and repudiation of an international system that recognizes the territorial integrity of nation-states. Addressing these challenges must begin at home.
While President Obama promised to fundamentally change America, few realized his policies would fundamentally weaken it. Yet, the administration’s defense priorities and international retrenchment increasingly reflect a pre-Sept. 11, 2001 mindset.
All is proceeding exactly as Obama has foreseen.
On a slightly more serious note, I’d argue that the Administration has a pre-Revolutionary War mindset.
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