The path to peace in the post Cold War era...

[ElboRuum]

or...

Why Republicanism is Obsolete without the U.S.S.R.

Back in the Cold War days, the general peace was assured around the globe. Sure we had Korea and Vietnam, and many American lives were lost in these wars, but these were theaters of conflict confined to a particular geography. They were contained in a precise regional conflict whose focus was the prevention of the spread of a Communist hegemony. These were no World Wars, these were ideological wars which had little chance of spread beyond their original theaters of conflict.

In a world comprised of two massive powers and their alliances, staring down the nuclear battlefield at each other in a nightmarish game of rhetorical brinkmanship, we find it tense, but relatively safe so long as the precarious balance of power is maintained. Third parties, in such a world, have no choice but to ally with and take leadership from the main powers, lest they incur the wrath of both. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so they say.

Republicanism rose to power on the technological struggle that was the Cold War. It promised to make as its primary focus the restoration of the American character to a nationalism which the failure of Vietnam had all but crushed, and the continued successful application of efforts with regards to the dangerous possibility of a frightful technological war in a nuclear-capable world. We bought it. And if the excess and nationalism and general optimism of the 80's can be used as any indicator, we had no buyer's remorse. Apparently, for the most part, we were quite satisfied with our subscription to Reagan's Republican Revolution, because we renewed it twice.

Republicanism's obsolescence began, ironically, in its purported success. The fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the U.S.S.R. signaled the useful end of the Cold War philosophy of de rigeur defensive buildup and R&D. It was time to mend fences, to reach out, both politically, economically, and philosophically to former enemies for both their and our own prosperity. Unfortunately, threats backed by horrible weapons are not useful to such endeavors. These processes require a more deft touch, one, which we would later find out, was not to be found in the Republican political repertoire.

In the world at large, the success of Republicanism left a vacuum of power in the world, and either we would have to forge friendly alliances to fill that vacuum or deal with the real possibility of another hostile hegemony rising up to fill it. To engage in euphemism, our alliance forging effort on the heels of the Cold War was... um... insufficient.

The answer to peace in the world with the United States as the lone superpower, ironically, lies in the time before the US was a power of any sort. It's a shame that very few people who lived during that time still live, because I believe they would have much to say on the topic.

When you are in the position of the number one power in the world by a margin, you walk a precariously thin moral tightrope. Any use of force can, and often will, be seen as naked evil aggression depending on the circumstances. You will create new enemies in the wake of having just defeated the old ones.

Thus it is vitally important to adopt an attitude similar to pre-superpower status... we must adopt the same attitude with regard to foreign policy as though we had no power AT ALL: Diplomacy, diplomacy, sanction, negotiation, diplomacy, treaty, alliance, diplomacy... until all other options are exhausted. Then and only then can you engage in war justifiably in an age where you are the lone superpower without turning away the hearts and minds of potential enemies put off by your actions. Our burden of proof is greater now. We have to go many steps further in establishing benevolence of intention when there is no one equal in power standing against us.

Republicans of today, still awash in the memory of 80's "glory" have not responded to change with adaptation, even as they claim that their attitudes and forthrightness and just badassitude have caused that change to occur. And, given the content of what passes for political discourse, it is unlikely they ever will.

Republicans are obsolete. Time for the Cold Warriors to step aside and let the diplomats take over.

[ElboRuum]

1. Obligatory Self-Kick... nt