Having written two books on American foreign policy, I am well aware that the last thing I need is to be denounced as an isolationist. Isolationism, the willful turning away from the world even when a rigorous assessment of national interests argues for acting on its behalf, makes no sense in the twenty-first century. Whether we like it or not, the United States cannot wall itself off from global threats that are real and growing: terrorism, nuclear proliferation, the spread of pandemic disease, trade and investment protectionism, the loss of access to financial, energy, and mineral resources. These threats can cross borders and can thwart economic recovery, harming the American people as much as anyone else.
Nevertheless, I also take issue with those who are dismissive of the value of building international institutions to help tame the forces of globalization and curb the risks that come with it. Since World War II the United States has created institutions and regimes that have helped to preserve and extend its power, such as the Marshall Plan, the Bretton Woods monetary system, and NATO. The success of these efforts has been due in large part to the fact that America’s allies and rivals alike believed that they were working not only in America’s interest but in their own as well. Today, a broad range of Americans from a variety of political perspectives understand that if we are to succeed in protecting our security and interests, the United States needs others to work with us rather than against us.