Grand Strategy for America

J. Art Robert

Description

The United States today is the most powerful nation in the world, perhaps even stronger than Rome was during its heyday. It is likely to remain the world's preeminent power for at least several decades to come. What behavior is appropriate for such a powerful state?To answer this question, Robert J. Art concentrates on "grand strategy"-the deployment of military power in both peace and war to support foreign policy goals. He first defines America's contemporary national interests and the specific threats they face, then identifies seven grand strategies that the United States might contemplate, examining each in relation to America's interests. The seven are:* dominion-forcibly trying to remake the world in America's own image;* global collective security-attempting to keep the peace everywhere;* regional collective security-confining peacekeeping efforts to Europe;* cooperative security-seeking to reduce the occurrence of war by limiting other states' offensive capabilities;* isolationism-withdrawing from all military involvement beyond U.S. borders;* containment-holding the line against aggressor states; and* selective engagement-choosing to prevent or to become involved only in those conflicts that pose a threat to the country's long-term interests.Art makes a strong case for selective engagement as the most desirable strategy for contemporary America. It is the one that seeks to forestall dangers, not simply react to them; that is politically viable, at home and abroad; and that protects all U.S. interests, both essential and desirable. Art concludes that "selective engagement is not a strategy for all times, but it is the best grand strategy for these times."

Sujets

• International relations

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 février 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801468445
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

A Grand Strategy for America

A volume in the series cornell studies in security affairs edited by Robert J. Art, Robert Jervis, and Stephen M. Walt A full list of the titles in the series appears at the end of the book.

Also by Robert J. Art The TFX Decision: McNamara and the Military. Boston: Little, Brown,1968. Edited with Vincent Davis and Samuel P. Huntington,Reorganizing America’s Defense. Washington: Pergamon-Brassey’s,1985. Edited with Seyom Brown,U.S. Foreign Policy: The Search for a New Role. New York: Macmillan,1993. Edited with Patrick Cronin,The United States and Coercive Diplomacy. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press,2003.

A Grand Strategy for America

Robert J. Art

A C E N T U RY F O U N DAT I O N B O O K Cornell University Pressi t h ac a a n d l o n d o n

the century foundation The Century Foundation, formerly the Twentieth Century Fund, sponsors and supervises timely analyses of economic policy, foreign affairs, and domestic political issues. Not-for-profit and nonpartisan, it was founded in 1919 and endowed by Edward A. Filene.

Board of Trustees of The Century Foundation H. Brandt Ayers Richard C. Leone Peter A. A. Berle Jessica Tuchman Mathews Alan Brinkley,ChairmanAlicia H. Munnell Joseph A. Califano, Jr. P. Michael Pitfield Alexander Morgan Capron John Podesta Hodding Carter III Richard Ravitch Edward E. David, Jr. Alan Sagner Brewster C. Denny Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Christopher Edley, Jr. Theodore C. Sorensen Charles V. Hamilton Kathleen M. Sullivan Matina S. Horner Shirley Williams Lewis B. Kaden William Julius Wilson James A. Leach Richard C. Leone,President

Copyright © 2003 by The Century Foundation, Inc.

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

First published 2003 by Cornell University Press First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2004

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Art, Robert J. A grand strategy for America / Robert J. Art. p. cm. “A Century Foundation Book.” Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8014-4139-4 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-8014-8957-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. United States—Foreign relations—2001—Philosophy. 2. United States—Foreign relations—1989– 3. United States— Military policy. 4. World politics—1995–2005. I. Title. E895.A78 2003 327.73—dc21 2003000457

Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. Such materials include vegetable-based, low- VOC inks and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine- free, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu. Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Paperback printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

For Suzanne, who has always been there for me

Contents

List of Figures and Tables Foreword by Richard C. Leone Acknowledgments Introduction 1The International Setting 2America’s National Interests 3Dominion, Collective Security, and Containment 4Selective Engagement 5Isolationism and Offshore Balancing 6Selective Engagement and the Free Hand Strategies 7Implementing Selective Engagement Appendix A. Civil Wars Active between1991and2000 Appendix B. International Wars Active between1991 and2000 Notes Index

vii

ix xi xv 1 12 45 82 121 172 198 223 249

252 253 305

Figures and Tables

figure 1.1World Exports as a Share of Gross World Product,1830–1913,1950–2000 figure 1.2Annual War Occurrence,1945–2000

table 1.1Foreign Assets of Deposit Banks as a Share of Gross World Product,1960–1994 table 1.2World Direct and Portfolio Investment Flows,1960–1999 table 1.3Investment Flows as a Share of Gross World Product,1970–1999 table 1.4Daily Currency Turnover,1986–2001 table 1.5The G-7and International Trade,1937–2000 table 1.6World Exports among and between Industrial and Developing States as a Percent of Total World Exports,1960–2000 table 1.7International and Civil Wars by Region,1991–2000 table 1.8International Conditions and America’s Interests table 2.1Ranking America’s National Interests table 2.2Energy Dependence and Oil Import Dependence, 1970–1999(selected countries) table 2.3Percent of Total Primary Energy Supply by Fuel Source, 1973and1999(selected countries) table 2.4America’s Interests and the Prime Threats to Them table 3.1A Comparison of Eight Grand Strategies

ix

21 40

22 23

23 24 25

26 39 43 46

60

61 79 84