Nation Interrupted

I enjoyed going to the movies in Cairo for one reason in particular: cheap popcorn. Popcorn is one of my favorite foods and getting a whole bag for less than $2 is awesome. Sometimes I would go to see a movie I didn't particularly care about (The Town anyone?) just to sit there and enjoy my cheap and salty popcorn. It gets better. Egyptian theaters include an old fashioned intermission half way through a film. Which means, I think you know, more popcorn for me. Instead of having to make my popcorn supply last through the entire film, Egypt's genius tradition allowed the audience and me to pause and stock up on supplies so that we might properly enjoy the second act.

Just as it is mid way through a C+ film, it seems the nation is begging for a proverbial pause, one in which we can redefine our identity and our goals for what is to come. No one recognizes an identity crisis better than I. I've alluded to this feeling before, but for some reason here in the beginning of my career I find myself thinking most often about the end. What will I have contributed with my lifetime? What legacy do I want to leave? In the same way twenty-somethings are reevaluating their purpose, so too I detect the nation searching once again to define its identity. Those questions that have been camping on the tips of our tongues have left our lips and arrived in our national conversations. Recently friends and I have been discussing war in our time, American exceptionalism, and a potential shift in global power. Even last night's episode of the Daily Show had Jon Stewart and his guest Bill Kristol grasping at some fundamental questions about our foreign policy and our role in the world more broadly.

Via facebook messages, a friend and I discussed the realities of today's American wars. Essentially, if you or your family do not serve in the military, you remain largely unaffected by the large scale wars America fights abroad. This is both dangerous and unfair. I am not advocating for the draft. I would much rather see large scale, armed conflict remain off the table for the coming decades unless deemed absolutely necessary by many countries. There is also debate over how effective wars are in fighting terrorism and in nation building. Certainly the military should not be asked to be both a fighting force and a development enterprise. If I can be so bold as to judge the national mood, I would say that after a grueling ten years since September 11, we might look at some of our foreign policy decisions and say, let's not do that again.

Terrorism is by no means vanquished. Just today the New York Times warns us to keep our eye on Somalia, the host of a growing Al Qaeda presence. Arguably however, the focus has shifted from countering threats, to encouraging mass political movements - potentially one of the greatest counterterrorism efforts the government could undertake. Lately, I've heard many claim that it is time for America to step back and take a more isolationist stance. We can no longer afford to be involved in affairs abroad as we are now, and in the end it is not our place. Alternatively, I've heard many argue that America needs to maintain its superpower status and grasp firmly to its leadership reigns.

I'll tell you my opinion. For reasons deserved and undeserved, America has the resources to do good in the world. These resources should be put to good use. We do need to be honest with ourselves, there is suffering at home. We cannot justify billion dollar tabs in other countries, especially when we may or may not be buying a more secure future for the citizens there. At the same time, we cannot sink into a cocoon of isolationism. That is counterproductive to our security, but it would also rob us of the opportunity to do some good in the world. The key is to make sure our policies are smart, sustainable, and promote security at home and prosperity abroad.

Easier said than done. To start, I would encourage the President to address this identity crisis. It is healthy and entirely appropriate that we take stock of our role in the world. The nation would benefit from an updated definition of American foreign policy. Where can we add more resources? Where will we be cutting back (defense spending)? What is our counterterrorism strategy going forward? What is our role in NATO, given Secretary Gates's remarks, and how will we be cooperating with allies to combat common threats?

A decade after September 11 and two wars later, it is time we pause to redefine our strategy and of course get some more popcorn.