The False Narrative of U.S. "Withdrawal" from the World

The U.S. is in its second year of bombing ISIS in Iraq, and has been bombing targets in Syria for almost as long. The U.S. has been actively aiding the Saudi-led devastation of Yemen for over a year, and it has done so precisely because it wants to “reassure” its awful clients in the region that it isn't going anywhere. At the same time, the U.S. has been increasing its military presence in Europe and leaving its other commitments unchanged. Earlier this summer, an exasperated John Kerry said, “The United States of America is more engaged in more places with greater impact today than at any time in American history. And that is simply documentable and undeniable.” Yet hawkish interventionists have to deny it, because it contradicts the fairy tale they've been peddling for years. The main problem with Kerry's assessment is that he thinks the “impact” of all this engagement is desirable and constructive when much of it clearly is not.