Drezner on "Grand Strategy"

A majority of Americans want the U.S. to pursue a different direction in Iraq. But what will such a grand strategy that balances popular will (currently constituted) with the promotion of American interests, if not ideals, look like? The estimable Daniel Drezner suggest that it would look a lot like the "ethical realism" of Anatol Lieven and John Hulsman,

The grand strategy that wins out in the end may be the one that --regardless of specific positions on Iraq or terrorism -- convinces Americans that it is possible to have free and fair trade at the same time. By a hair, then, the front-runner is Lieven and Hulsman's ethical realism. By economizing on other forms of power projection, ethical realism potentially frees up resources to cushion the domestic costs of globalization.

At present, however, there is little consensus on a Kennan-like grand strategy. But remember, Kennan's strategy looks a lot better now than it did during the Cold War. The precise definition of containment "was at best ambiguous and lent itself to misinterpretation," Kennan acknowledged in his memoirs. Certainly, Jimmy Carter interpreted containment differently than did Ronald Reagan, who interpreted it differently than did Henry Kissinger.

The foreign-policy establishment may be stumbling around right now, searching for the one strategy to rule them all. It is possible, however, that what looks like disarray today may appear smarter, better -- grander? -- in the future.

More on "ethical realism" at Radio Open Source.