Overstretch Hastens Decline

The U.S. is at the forefront of crises in Europe and the Middle East, and that involvement is proof of how overstretched the U.S. is.

Max Boot doesn’t understand how great powers decline:

It is true that we are no longer quite as dominant internationally as we were 30 years ago. Contrary to conventional wisdom, however, we are hardly in decline. Just look at the two biggest crises in the world today: Gaza and Ukraine. The United States is at the forefront of dealing with both.

It’s true that the U.S. is still very powerful, but compared to where it was at the start of the century or at the beginning of the 1990s it is in worse shape. The more important error here is thinking that being deeply involved in international crises is itself a mark of health and strength. Yes, the U.S. is at the forefront of crises in Europe and the Middle East, and that involvement is proof of how overstretched the U.S. is. Even though the U.S. has no treaty obligations to either state, it has thrown its support behind two belligerents in foreign wars. Both conflicts have the potential to escalate and expand, and the U.S. runs the risk of much higher costs if its own forces join the fighting.