Where’s the Grand Strategy?
Six years after 9/11, where is our Kennan?
I’d push the question back further - sixteen years after the end of the Cold War, where is our Kennan?
While Barnett’s faith in globalization’s continuing march may mirror Kennan’s faith in the relative strength of the Western system over the Soviets, the role of military force in his theory causes the analogy to break. Using Biddle’s dichotomy between containment and rollback, the active role of the Core’s SysAdmin effort to shrink the gap makes Barnett’s strategy one of rollback.
Robb, by contrast, doesn’t offer a grand strategy at all. His recommendations are operational and tactical, reflecting the scope of his analysis. He forecasts the rise of microstates as a prediction, not as a goal. Besides, as I’ve said before, Robb’s work complements Barnett’s (and vice versa). [1] [2]
For a truly alternative grand strategy, one would have to look to something like William Lind’s Strategic Defense Initiative. Lind advocates distancing the United States from sources of disorder to protect and grow its strength, making his strategy one of containment.
