"New World Order"

Reading the pre-press on Obama's speech to the UN today, I'm struck by how similar... how much it appears to be a return to a continuation of the Bush Sr. and Clinton foreign policy model, the "new world order," the US as "a nation among nations."

To me, this abandonment of the fantasy of unilateralism and return to reality is a great thing. As the rise of future rivals India and China appears inevitable, the primary goal of US foreign policy should be an effort to establish international rules and frameworks to our advantage while we still hold preeminence.

This is a repudiation of the "Project for a New American Century" group of theories which tried to employ the temporary US military advantage to the same effect. The problem with that theory is that, as we've seen, the US military was constructed to win wars, not occupy countries.

Plus, the ill will and global political weaknesses created by the overextensions created a diplomatic weakness in the much more important balance with our larger true future rivals. (ie What did we "win" in Iraq versus the run of trade and oil deals the Chinese put together around the globe while we were tied down?)

So, I'm pretty happy with the apparent tone. This return to sanity will create a far better future America for our kids.