Retreat and its Consequences: American Foreign Policy and the Problem of World Order by Robert J. Lieber ISBN 9781316506714, 9781107141803, 1316506711, 110714180X instant download

Retreat and its Consequences: American Foreign Policy and the Problem of World Order by Robert J. Lieber ISBN 9781316506714, 9781107141803, 1316506711, 110714180X instant download

This book contributes to the debate regarding the wisdom and likely consequences of American strategic retrenchment by chronicling the instability, crises, and conflicts that were unleashed by American withdrawals under the Obama administration. American allies have been and will continue to be reluctant to fill any void left by American disengagement, thus undermining the prospects for stability and continuity in the wake of US retrenchment. Further withdrawals will likely produce even greater instability. The book implores future administrations to maintain the military preponderance and expansive global commitments that have marked US foreign policy since the end of the Second World War. However, the book fails to disentangle the effects of long-term structural decline, which is largely driven by systemic forces, from the narrower effects of American retrenchment, which has been a conscious policy decision. The underlying causes of structural decline go far deeper than any one president’s lack of willpower or direction. Accordingly, it is improbable that a more assertive grand strategy will effectively counteract the deleterious effects of American overextension and strategic malaise.