Promote Global Stability, Prevent Chaos
A second perspective focuses on America's global role in maintaining stability and preventing chaos. The post-Cold War world is coming apart at the seams. The United States is the only nation with the economic, moral, and military might to provide global leadership and ensure global stability. U.S. interests are threatened in several regions of the world. The U.S. must pay attention to civil wars, ethnic violence and a host of deteriorating political situations that could spiral out of control, engulfing our allies and threatening our interests. To maintain a semblance of global stability, the U.S. must play a central role as peacekeeper.
What Should be Done?
Maintain the defense forces to fight two wars simultaneously, as the need could easily arise. Bolster the defense budget to ensure that we have the military capability to act on our own, if need be.Strengthen and expand U.S. alliances around the world to extend our ability to influence events abroad and to maintain stability.Be prepared to cooperate with nondemocratic regimes, when necessary, to protect our interests and promote stability.
Arguments For This Approach
The threat of chaos and regional instability is real. The collapse of the Soviet Union has uncorked scores of ethnic and religious conflicts around the world that threaten global security.If the U.S. doesn't play a central role as peacekeeper, there is no hope for maintaining global stability. If we do not stay actively involved abroad, U.S. interests will be threatened, and other nations will be able to cut off vital supplies, such as oil. We must be prepared to intervene when necessary to prevent chaos, and we should be prepared to do so early on, when it is possible to use means other than military force. Although international military alliances are generally preferable, the U.S. must be prepared to act on its own when necessary.
Arguments Against This Approach
If the U.S. pursues the role of global policeman, the nation will be constantly entangled in the problems of other nations.The U.S. was obliged to take the lead in the fight against global communism, but there is no longer a compelling reason for us to continue to play the role of global policeman.It makes no sense for the U.S. to intervene in dozens of small conflicts in hopes that they don't grow into conflicts that threaten U.S. interests. This perspective overlooks the U.S. role in promoting democracy and human rights. Expanding our alliances makes it more likely that the U.S. will be obliged to engage in costly misadventures abroad. This approach misjudges military threats and pays too little attention to other serious issues, such as threats to the global environment. The U.S. no longer needs to continue the Cold War strategy of preparing to fight two wars simultaneously.
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