A sustainable national security strategy is feasible only when directed
by a sustainable national security policy. In the absence of policy
guidance, strategy will be meaningless. The only policy that meets both
the mandates of American culture and the challenges of the outside world
is one that seeks to lead the necessary mission of guarding and
advancing world order. The author considers and rejects a policy that
would encourage the emergence of a multipolar structure to global
politics. He argues that multipolarity not only would fail to maintain
order, it would also promote conflict among the inevitably rival great
powers. In addition, he suggests Americans culturally are not
comfortable with balance-of-power politics and certainly would not
choose to promote the return of such a system. Various "pieces of the
puzzle" most relevant to national security strategy are located; leading
assumptions held by American policymakers and strategists are
identified; alternative national security policies are...