America’s Changing Role in the World

November 16, 2015

Every day, it seems Americans awaken to a crisis signifying a world out of their control. In Europe, our allies and partners are coping with Russian aggression, ranging from cyber attacks and energy coercion to conventional military might and a renewed emphasis on nuclear weapons. At the same time, Europe grapples with the world’s most significant migration crisis since World War II. In Asia, satellite images of China’s aggressive island-building activities are widely viewed as corroborating that nation’s designs to control the air and sea space far from its shores. Meanwhile, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un continues his family’s legacy of dangerous provocations and nuclear ambition. As significant as the security situation is in these two regions, no area of the world is in greater tumult than the Middle East. From the destabilizing role of Iran to the chaos of Libya to the complete destruction of Syria and its implications for Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, and beyond, the upheaval appears endless.