My current favorite writer on foreign affairs - George Friedman - appears at Geopolitical Futures. Today his topic is the change in U.S. foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. He observes:
During the Cold War, everything mattered to the United States, because the Soviets could and would exploit any opening. The Soviet Union was a global power, with a military second only to the United States’ and a covert capability that frequently put Washington in difficult situations.
But there is no threat from the Soviet Union today. Only some things now matter to Washington. (emphasis added) This is a shock to a world that expects the U.S. to take a leadership role, indifferent to the price the U.S. paid in the Cold War for taking the reins. Engaging globally carries with it a high price that can be paid when necessary but should be avoided when possible.
His point: it is now possible for the U.S. to ignore some world conflicts, including the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. What happens there, while of life-and-death importance to the locals, is not an American problem, rightly understood. If we ever were, we are no longer the world’s police force a 911 call away.
