The News:        

Two years ago:

War Bill Passes House, Requiring an Iraq Pullout, NYT April 26, 2007
After Saudis’ First Steps, Efforts for Reform Stall, NYT April 26, 2007
At World Bank Meeting, Frustrations Boiled Over, NYT April 25, 2007
Wolfowitz Escalates Battle to Stay at Bank, NYT April 26, 2007

Discussion about a controversial article: Illustrating "American Orientalism?"

Dan Pipes, A Madrassa Grows In Brooklyn, NY Sun, April 24, 2007

The Media :

• recall those concentric circles - or how the Israel Lobby works

Alternative Futures (Hastedt pp 409-423) 

What is the national interest?  Are we falling victim to the "victory disease?"  How should we define the principal threat(s) to US national security?  What responsibilities do we have toward other states and toward the global community?

1. US as an ordinary state: not do too much, proportionate rels, good global citizen only
2. Reformed America: don’t fixate on power (vs selfish business promotion and empire! For democracy! - be true to our ideals! - corrupting officials abroad will come back to haunt us), or over rely on military; push demo and intl order “conducive to traditional American values” –neo-Wilsonianism
3. Global Manager: main threats economic not military, bailouts, world well being in era of global interdependence – WTO, Kyoto Protocol?
4. Pragmatic America: focus on military prime threats, selectively secure other states, limited responsibility selective allies – “international posses” (Bush 41) or coalitions of the willing.
5. Neo-Containment: military power, core allies, balance of power minimal UN
6. Triumphant (but status quo) America: WMD prime threat, limited responsibility to others, enforce wld order – unilaterally if necessary!
7. American (military missionary) Crusader: immediate threats to nat security, help allies, great intl responsibility that USA determines as sees fit. (see Coyne and Davies, pp. 27-28, on US military bases)
8. America the Balancer: return to multipolar world is inevitable, threats are mainly self inflicted because of security commitments to protect economic interests, limited because every state is responsible for self, limited global community responsibilities
9. Disengaged America: danger of over-reactive foreign policy, limited responsibility to others or to global agenda.

Futures	Globalization	balance	military power	economic power	soft power	promote democracy	multilateralism
		of power				democ
US as ordinary state						maybe	yes
Reformed America	yes	no	no	yes	yes	yes	strong
Global Manager	yes	no	no	yes	yes	no	yes
Pragmatic America	yes	maybe	yes	no	no	no	limited
Neo-Containment	no	yes	yes+	yes	no	no	minimal
Triumphant America	neutral	no	yes		no	no no	lead
American Crusader	negative	no	yes+		no	maybe	dominate	super rogue?
America the Balancer	neutral	yes	police?		no	no	limited
Disengaged America	no	yes				no	limited

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April 29, 2009

Department of Government, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin.

Questions, Comments, and Suggestions to chenry@mail.utexas.edu