LONDON -- The United States is the predominant force in the world -- more so than ever. Its military reach is awesome (as Afghanistan has proved), its technology at the forefront, its universities the most advanced, its Nobel laureates the most numerous, its production now back to almost 30 percent of the entire global output.
America's admirers call this "the unipolar moment." America's critics, of whom there are a plentiful supply, speak of "the arrogance of power" and the dangers of American hegemony.
Both perceptions are wrong and unhelpful. It is true that in Washington some of the language has a "can do" and short-term, triumphalist flavor, and that there was more than a hint of this in U.S. President George W. Bush's recent State of the Union speech. It is true, too, that the campaign to destroy the Taliban has been an almost entirely American show, with "the Brits" playing a minor contributory role up front and the rest of the grand coalition being allowed scarcely more than walk-on parts in the drama.