Great Britain and the United States: Analogy of Two Great Powers Separated by Time and a Common Language

Abstract

Abstract : In many respects, America's military, economic and diplomatic situation in 1991 resembled Great Britain s in 1919. Rather than reduce global commitments, the end of the Cold War saw an increase in a number of global interests, many which would demand the use of military force. The general expectation that the collapse of the Soviet Union would entitle a quid pro quo peace dividend, a relaxation foreign policy and a lessened military engagement policy was and still is, dangerously wrong. Vital, self-interests demand the United States embrace her leadership role as the world s indispensable nation in providing for stability for volatile regions of the world. To protect diplomatic, cultural and economic interests, the United States must remain engaged in global affairs. Foreign policy however, cannot be reactive, it must shape the brave new world through a balanced approach to economic, diplomatic and informational activities. Most importantly, as the British learned almost a century ago, a strong military capability and the will power to use force to engage the international environment must back foreign policy. While Great Britain s oderint dum metuant policy of the 19th Century may be too draconian for the democratic United States in the 21st Century, Britain s minimum force policy, a heavy hand with restraint provides a meaningful historical example. In 1991, the collapse of the Soviet Union destabilized many regions in the world. Former Soviet client states like Iraq were free to exercise regional attempts for hegemony. The Persian Gulf War ensued. In the Caucasus, horrific and violent warfare, anarchy and ethnic cleansing engulfed the region. In Eastern Europe, nationalistic tendencies and racial hatred which was long dormant under the iron rule of the USSR now emerged in states such as Yugoslavia, with a brutal and destabilizing regional impact.