America’s “exceptionalism” is alive and well. It’s resurfaced
wearing a wig in current presidential politics.
Clinton speaks about America the “indispensable” nation. It’s high sounding fluff. What does it mean? Shall we take a stab? A crutch might be “indispensable” for a crippled man. Does Hillary Clinton have a cripple in mind? Who’s crippled?
A random guess says its the rest of the world. It needs to be straightened out. No other nation can do it. America is the crutch. “Look at them, down in the mud without a crutch. I’m Hillary. Here’s my message: I’ll keep you out of the mud.”
A confession: I offer a lament. It’s a lament about the confusions of politicians, especially Hillary Clinton’s. It’s a lament for an exceptional America, for a nation whose core of strength is fading but has yet to vanish. Clinton’s confusion, widely shared, is that a “muscular” application of America’s considerable powers, economic, military and political, is in America’s interests in that it will perpetuate its world leadership. Muscle for Russia, muscle for Syria, Iran, China. So much muscle.
Hillary is confused. Many pine for a great American nation. It simply isn’t the America Hillary would lead. She is as confused about what the nation’s great powers have accomplished as she is about what those powers can accomplish. She’s confused about what lies at the basis of America’s claim to greatness. Hillary is a greatness-through-power advocate.
Two things are obvious. Power advocates think America is losing its grip.
Hence, for example, Dan Twining’s “A
blueprint for restoring American exceptionalism” (FP, March 7, 2013)
an abject précis of the extravagantly entitled “Setting
Priorities for American Leadership – A New National Security Strategy for the
United States” (PUSA, March 2013). Of course, restoration isn’t necessary
unless American greatness is going, going, gone. Hillary has the answer: “Just
watch. We’re going to be indispensable again.”
The confusion of power advocates is this: America’s greatness isn’t eroding because its great powers are diminishing. It’s great powers are diminishing because its greatness is ignored and is being lost.
Illusions of Military Power, Past and Present
America was held in check by peasants and foot soldiers in Korea and
defeated in Vietnam and Afghanistan. It was saved from similar defeat in Iraq
only by the intervention of Iran, which counseled the Iraqis to deny at the
last moment a SOFA to America’s military. In each country America’s politicians
and military leaders confused the national resistance of a people for something
else.
Today air superiority over China and Russia is doubtful. Russian defensive
and offensive missile technology as well as its electronic warfare capacities
are superior. Insofar as the US banks on drones, robots, Boeing’s phantom eye…