The tragedy is that many Americans, frustrated by the costs of global leadership, fail to recognize the many indirect benefits they’ve received from it. It is true that American hegemony wasn’t free to maintain, but by bearing those costs we were able to maintain a world remarkably conducive to U.S. interests. The era of stable markets for exports, reliable access to resources and few direct security threats is ending as we walk away from our role as a relatively benevolent hegemon.
The coming disorder will hurt Americans more than they realize, through increased military threats and economic disruptions. Those celebrating America’s retreat from global leadership will soon learn that their wish was granted on a monkey’s paw. The world that follows Pax Americana will be poorer, more dangerous and less free — a harsh lesson in how much better the imperfect American-led order was than the alternatives that history offers.
