Manifest Destiny Goes Global

This chapter examines American foreign policy at the end of the Cold War. It focuses on William Kristol and Robert Kagan’s arguments in favor of the neo-Reaganite foreign policy that triumphed thanks to the election of George W. Bush in 2000. This was not a foreign policy born out of shock, fear, confusion, or the desire for revenge—as Robert Kagan falsely maintained on the twentieth anniversary of the attacks. Instead, the terrorist attacks were the perfect opportunity for implementing foreign policy aspirations that were articulated by Kristol and Kagan in the 1990s—namely, the creation of a global commercial empire that would rival the British. This neo-Reaganite vision should not be confused with a liberal foreign policy bent on spreading democracy, even if the latter is the honey that sweetens the wormwood and energizes liberals.