Our National Interests

Here are a set of rules to help frame strategic issues, from Stanley R. Sloan, a former intelligence analyst and an authority on the North Atlantic Alliance.  They come from a report to Congress in the 1990s.  So, here are his five critical question that need to be answered to understand what role the United States can (should) play in the world:

1.   What do we need (what are our vital interests)?
2.   What do we want (what are our "important" interests)?
3.   What do we stand for (what values should guide our actions)?
4.   What are we willing to pay for?
5.   What are we willing to have Americans die for?

Quoting Mr Sloan,

Granted, it is a pretty simplistic construct, but the fact that the questions are likely to produce a wide variety of answers among Americans, perhaps particularly among elite policy thinkers/actors and politicians, may suggest why it is difficult to develop a "grand strategy".

For instance, is Europe in our vital interest, and if not, what about the UK?  The Panama Canal (it used to be)?  Canada?  Mexico?  Guam?

In evaluating Representative Paul's proposals, we need to think in these terms, just as we to when evaluating the proposals of former Speaker Gingrich or Governor Romney or anyone else running for high office.

Regards  —  Cliff