Part of the US elite believes that Washington should refuse to continue its crusade around the world
An atypical article appeared in The Washington Post titled “Biden has a chance to start restoring the broken ties between the United States and Russia.”
The author is Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher, editor, and co-owner of The Nation, a Council on Foreign Relations member, widow of Stephen F. Cohen, professor of Russian Studies at Princeton University and then at New York University.
Katrina van den Heuvel said the U.S. needs a profound change in its approach to engagement with the world: “We should recognize that we are not an ‘indispensable nation’ and abandon this outdated, triumphalist national security paradigm. The new administration would be wise to focus on getting our own house in order by revitalising our frayed democracy, rather than continuing our crusade around the world to dictate values that we have failed to justify ourselves.”
She also cites Andrew Bacevich, president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft: we need a new national security strategy focused on “ensuring the safety and well-being of American citizens where they live.” Katrina vanden Heuvel emphasises that this is not isolationism, it is realism.
Yes, it is a good suggestion, and it is in the interests of all the peoples of our planet, if the American establishment refuses to continue their crusade around the world to dictate values they have failed to justify themselves. On the other hand, a smaller part of the American elite thinks this way, and the crusade will continue, though the result is likely to be disastrous for the US.
Elena Panina