This is a moment of truth for the global order. Donald Trump’s reelection signals a potentially tectonic shift in the role of the United States with a commensurate impact on how the world works. He rejects traditional U.S. foreign and security policies as well as any belief in U.S. exceptionalism, and all the burdens and responsibilities that it creates.
That might not be a bad thing. A rebalancing of those roles would align with calls for a more multipolar world and the empowering of nations that today feel marginalized in multinational decision making. It could also create a leadership vacuum, unleashing destabilizing forces that yield chaos and the devolution into a Hobbesian world where might makes right.
I’ve always flinched when Americans refer to themselves as the “indispensable power.” Uncle Ben was right: With great power comes great responsibility and the United States by dint of its economic success and military strength, achieved through hard work and no small amount of luck, should be ready to shoulder special responsibilities and be a force for good in the world.
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