Uncle Sam Goes Weak in the Knees on Foreign Policy

Libya is likely seeing the end of its longest-ruling head of government. But Gadhafi’s demise might also be a factor in the sunset of the power of the United States.

In piercing tones, The Telegraph’s Nile Gardiner calls Washington’s foreign policy “embarrassing,” “apologetic,” “a deer-in-the-headlights approach,” “pathetically slow to lead” and “afraid to condemn acts of state-sponsored repression and violence.”

Gardiner puts this change from unchallenged Leader of the Free World to “AWOL on the world stage” squarely at the feet of President Barack Obama.

President is AWOL

Contrasting President Obama with Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush, Gardiner notes that the former presidents believed the United States was “an exceptional nation, with a unique role in leading the free world.” Noting President Obama’s proclivity to apologize for America, Gardiner summarizes, “A leader who lacks pride in his own nation’s historic role as a great liberator simply cannot project strength abroad.”

Is it that simple? If America sheds its president for a conservative one in 2012, will it return to its former role as leader of the world?

I am not so certain.

I am certain that America has been an exceptional nation. I am equally certain that the exercise of leadership is crucial to America’s exceptionalism.

Britain roars one more time

I cannot help feeling pride for Britain’s David Cameron, who unequivocally declared, “We must not tolerate this regime using military force against its own people. In that context I have asked the Ministry of Defense and the Chief of the Defense Staff to work with our allies on plans for a military no-fly zone.”

In contrast, American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the United States was “seeking consensus” to coordinate with other nations on implementing decisions the U.N. Security Council will eventually make.

While she was just talking, Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, sounding much like a U.S. secretary of state might have in years gone by, stepped away from meeting with her to announce that Australia supports establishing a no-fly zone—immediately.

German action the strongest

But the strongest intervention to date has come from Germany, whose foreign minister called for what amounts to an economic embargo against Libya. Guido Westerwelle’s words are worthy of a world power: “We must do everything so this murder ends. We must do everything to ensure that no money is going into the hands of the Libyan dictator’s family, that they don’t have the opportunity to hire new foreign soldiers to repress their people with.” Germany can strip Libya of much of its operating cash by suspending payments for oil.

But there is more to America’s exceptionalism than leadership. A nation doesn’t rise virtually out of nowhere to become the greatest power the world has ever known—in what amounts to nanoseconds in the span of history—simply because of exceptional leaders.

Other nations in the world have had exceptional leaders, but those nations haven’t risen to the empire-status of the United States of America. Moreover, some leaders of the United States have been far from exceptional.

Questions

So why has the United States been such a great nation? And why might its greatness be on the wane?

At one time, America would have stopped Gadhafi with a word. (It’s incredibly ironic that the reason Gadhafi surrendered his nuclear stockpile was the decisive action of the United States against Iraq’s Saddam Hussein.) If not with a word, then it would have walloped the dictator with a military fist.

Today, the United States pledged financial support to help refugees, while other Western nations stepped in front of the U.S. with true leadership.

What happened? What turned the heart of a lion into the heart of a scarecrow?

The answer to all these questions regarding the puzzle of what is happening to the United States before our eyes is, in a few words, the nation’s relationship with its Creator.

The United States is filled with decent, hard-working, God-fearing people. But a disturbing number of Americans “fear” or respect God only on their terms, not His. They no longer earnestly seek His guidance, nor do they genuinely do what He says.

Oh, Americans still want the benefits from such a Being. But they do not want a God who is “too structured.”

Welcome to the results, America. Your greatness came from Him. If you turn from Him, He withdraws the benefits—just as any sensible father withdraws the benefits from an over-indulged child.

Consequences

Here is how life works.

The Creator said, “If you follow My statutes and faithfully observe My commands, … I will give peace to the land, and you will lie down with nothing to frighten you. … You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword. Five of you will pursue 100, and 100 of you will pursue 10,000; your enemies will fall before you by the sword” (Leviticus 26:3, 6-8, Holman Christian Standard Bible).

On the other hand, He continued…

“But if you do not obey Me and observe all these commands—if you reject My statutes and despise My ordinances, and do not observe all My commands—and break My covenant, … I will turn against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even though no one is pursuing you. … I will break down your strong pride” (Leviticus 26:14-15, 17, 19). 

God is the Leader who made America great. He is also the One who will—when necessary—take it down.