WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY?

Contemporary American foreign policy appears to be in free fall. It is beset by numerous inconsistencies, contradictions, and outright mistakes. The article maintains that the chaotic state of American foreign policy is not simply a result of human foibles and miscalculations. It is a product of a fundamental flaw. The article argues that there is a fundamental discrepancy between American quest for global hegemony and the pursuit of national interests that is the main organizing principle of American policy. This organizing principle is not sufficiently powerful for exercising global leadership and managing complex interactions among members of the global community. It is much weaker than what this role requires. In its concluding section the article offers a possible solution for this problem.