The Price of Hegemonist Delusions

The pursuit of primacy is not necessary for American security and prosperity.

Mitch McConnell has written a long article for the next issue of Foreign Affairs defending American armed primacy and denouncing its critics. It is not all that interesting except as an example of how delusional defenders of the foreign policy status quo are. According to the senator, the U.S. has supposedly been retreating before now, and he says that “[i]f the United States continues to retreat, its enemies will be only too happy to fill the void.” Like many other hawks before him, McConnell is railing against something that hasn’t happened to defend a bankrupt strategy.

The pursuit of primacy is not necessary for American security and prosperity. In fact, pursuing primacy will increasingly threaten both as time goes by.