In 'America in Retreat', Bret Stephens argues that the United States must reengage globally to prevent a rise in global disorder. He critiques the new isolationism and advocates for a Pax Americana, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to act as the world's policeman to safeguard peace and prosperity. Stephens warns that without American leadership, dictatorships may fill the void, leading to global instability.
In this book, Elbridge A. Colby presents a detailed strategy for U.S. defense in the face of China's rising influence. Colby argues for a 'strategy of denial,' which aims to prevent China from achieving regional hegemony in the Indo-Pacific by denying its ability to seize and hold key territories such as Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The strategy involves consolidating an anti-hegemonic coalition with the U.S. as its cornerstone and employing military and other forms of power to create political and perceptual effects that deter Chinese aggression. Colby's approach is grounded in realist theory and emphasizes the need for clear guidance and prioritization in U.S. defense strategy to address the Chinese threat effectively.
Two years ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. The costs of this war have been unbelievably high. Half a million Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have been either killed or wounded. In terms of cost, the U.S. alone has spent $113 billion on the war. And an aid package that includes another $60 billion for Ukraine is stuck in Congress.
Americans’ changing sentiment about the war has certainly contributed to that package being in limbo. Two years ago, there was broad support for the war: 66 percent of Americans thought we needed to help Ukraine. But that view is no longer the consensus. Several polls have indicated that the majority of Americans oppose additional funding to support Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka fell to Russian forces last weekend. The Biden administration says it’s a direct consequence of congressional inaction.
Today on Honestly, a debate: Where is all of America’s aid to Ukraine going? Is Ukraine really such a clear-cut cause? Even if you believe that it is, what has all of this sacrifice gotten Ukraine—and the U.S.? Can Ukraine even win this war? What’s the endgame? And is victory in Ukraine really as important to America as many politicians claim that it is?
Bret Stephens is a Pulitzer Prize-winning opinion columnist for The New York Times. His book, America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder, foresaw much of today’s world. Bret worries that the world is on the precipice of World War III. Isolationism, he argues, only contributes to global instability.
Elbridge Colby is co-founder of The Marathon Initiative think tank. He served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development under President Trump, and he is the author of The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict. Colby believes the United States must make difficult defense choices in an era of great power competition. Ukraine, he argues, is not the top priority.
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Honestly with Bari Weiss 
