A more humble foreign policy

When naming his foreign policy team last fall, President Biden began by saying that “America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it.” In shorter form, he repeated that tripartite construction in his inaugural address, then again in his maiden remarks to the State Department, and again in his address at the meeting of the Group of Seven. The first and last of that triadic formulation are welcome by most.

But the middle declaration that the United States is ready to lead is at best premature. After being all but ignored, or worse belittled, under the policy of America first, some of our allies have moved on to consider how best to secure their interests without an assumption of leadership or even reliable support from the United States, while our adversaries have moved into the space previously occupied and contested by the United States. It will take hard work to regain even a semblance of leadership.

Fortunately, Biden and his team appear to realize that. Yet that is belied by the proud announcement that America is of course back to lead, which is only somewhat less arrogant than the past condescending and inaccurate declaration of former Secretary of State Madeline Albright that the United States is an “indispensable nation.” But even if such assertions are correct, neither is suitable for our leaders to herald in public.

Moreover, the delusional fantasy of Biden striving to a podium while our allies dutifully stand behind the resumed leadership of the United States was surely punctured when Donald Trump encouraged an angry mob of supporters to march on the Capitol, which they trashed and desecrated while threatening harm, and some even death, to the sitting members of Congress, sending them hiding in safety instead of certifying the results of the election, which is the core ritual in democracy.

Evidence of the United States as the world leader lies in its actions and those of other countries. Allies and other countries have had enough of outright egoism. The United States must remain humble with allies in a collaborative approach. This would also be a more accurate and useful posture. It would be more fitting with the limits of our power, interests, and resources. Trump was correct to discuss those limits, which could have been the starting point of a wiser and much more durable foreign policy, had it actually been more properly articulated.

Biden is in general modest and he is likely to welcome and embody such a change in demeanor. But something has happened to our culture over the last half century or so, and it is not attractive, as we seem to have become accustomed to being, or at least viewing ourselves, in front of all the other countries instinctively deferring to our lead. We have come to assume that the president of the United States is “the leader of the free world” and that the title reveals the consensus others gladly embrace.

Our allies in Asia and Europe have often contributed to our assumption, which is neither fitting for our historic character nor the realities for our resources in a changing global order of power and influence. We should return to a more historic image of the United States, which reflects new realities, and is more attractive for our friends and other countries even when we do find ourselves in a position of leadership.

No one wants to follow an egoistic bully of a country or have to fall in line behind one. Less ringing than the advice from Theodore Roosevelt, speak softly and be careful about using that stick. This would perhaps mark the best way to begin this new chapter of foreign policy.

Gerald Hyman is a senior associate based in the office of the president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies located in Washington.