Can America Regain Its Superpower Mojo?

Of all the mistakes made by President Obama, none are more glaring than his deliberate, calculated effort to weaken the United States' position as the world's superpower.  From his early days in office, the president has ridiculed American exceptionalism and surrendered the nation's global leadership.

The president's supporters who adhere to his isolationist agenda argue that Mr. Obama has restored international goodwill toward America. They claim without any proof that our allies and our enemies both like the United States better because the president has shown deference to other nations.

What should be clear to any student of foreign policy is that international peace and tranquility do not depend on chumminess. Power, stability, credibility and shared interests are the glue that keeps world order.  But ultimately one country must accept the mantle of leadership on these principles.

That role naturally has fallen to the United States.  President Roosevelt once penned these words, "Great power involves great responsibility." As the world's economic and military titan, America cannot shrink from the world stage.  If it withdraws, the power vacuum will be filled by others.

Look what has happened since Mr. Obama's global disengagement.  The Middle East is a powder keg with Iran holding the fuse.  The sleeping bear Russia has reawakened with intentions of rebuilding its former Soviet empire.  China is assembling a potent military, threatening stability in Asia.

Under Mr. Obama, America has become nothing more than a paper tiger.  The president drew a red-line in Syria and then obliterated it. He demanded Russia stop its aggression in the Ukraine, but he backed up the threat with hollow sanctions that have failed to deter President Putin.  

His nuclear deal with Iran does nothing to address the mullahs' sponsorship of terror throughout the region. Mr. Obama's actions have shown the world that America is reluctant to behave like a superpower. This sign of weaknesses has led to more instability instead of promoting peace.

In Mr. Obama's mind, the absence of American involvement in foreign conflicts, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, are signs of his foreign policy success. No serious policy expert is suggesting America needs to be on war footing to fulfill its superpower role.  But America cannot lead by vacillating.

The challenge facing the next president will be how to regain America's rightful position as the world's global force for good.  A powerful U.S., both economically and militarily, must accept the responsibility of providing that leadership.  Isolation from the world is a prescription for chaos.

Historians partly blame American isolation for World War I and World War II when the United States was reluctant to intervene before the conflicts engulfed much of the world.  If America once again chooses to watch world events from the sidelines, the results will be catastrophic.  

For the most part, the world's leaders expect America to be the superpower.  Over the decades, the United States has both been chastised and applauded for its intervention in global affairs.  But when crises arise, often contentious issues cannot be solved without the involvement of America.

That's why the U.S. cannot afford to withdraw from the world.  If it does, the country will lose any ability to shape global events, including trade.  A toothless America is a scary thought because it raises the chilling prospect of a world dictated by Russia, China or Iran.    

The next president can regain a measure of respect by clearly articulating America's foreign policy goals and backing it up with unwavering courage.  Mr. Obama's incoherent policy, characterized by his "pivot" to Asia, has produced backpedalling on issues causing leaders to question U.S. resolve.

America's new leader must redefine the nation's strategic interests in the world.  Public opinion on the home front has dissuaded politicians from committing American military forces abroad.  While America cannot solve all the world's problems, the nation must honor its security agreements.

America's worldwide military presence is a deterrence to war, not an invitation to escalate hostilities. That's why the next president must revive the nation's military after nearly seven years of cuts in manpower and weapons.  The military ranks have been thinned to their lowest level in six decades.

America has the strength to recapture is superpower status.  It won't be easy because so much ground has been squandered by Mr. Obama. America's economic and military strength can still be parlayed into a seat at the head of the world's nations, if the next president moves expeditiously.

Reclaiming superpower status is critical to the country's ability to influence events, to protect its interests and to promote peaceful resolution of global conflicts.