PrintJune 18, 2007
The Retreat of the West?
International affairs is a zero sum game. When power is withdrawn by one state, another state or group will fill that power vacuum. History has proven this in the past. When British hegemony declined, American power filled that gap in the western world. Communism similarly filled power vacuums left after America's withdrawal from Vietnam and President Jimmy Carter's defense spending cuts, and diminished American influence in Africa, South America, and Asia.The same rules of international affairs hold true today. Should America withdraw from Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, that power vacuum will be filled by some state or group. In the Middle East, it is clear that Iran is filling power vacuums that the Iraqi government has not filled when authority was handed to it by the US military, and in Lebanon, Gaza, and Afghanistan where there is weak political leadership. Iran has further expanded its power through its allies and affiliated...(Read Full Article)
