The Imperial Logic of Bush's Liberal Agenda

Over the last year, President George W. Bush has articulated a clear, Wilsonian vision of world politics. Arguing a universal natural right to human liberty, the president calls upon America to shoulder the responsibility of constructing a global order based on free, liberal societies. The president suggests that America's unchallenged military supremacy creates the possibility for this transformation, that America has a moral obligation to lead in this undertaking, and that other nations have a moral duty to join in. This vision, however powerful, fundamentally misunderstands the nature of the task and the real challenges to liberalism. Worse, the strategy outlined by the president is likely to undermine international liberal institutions and liberal consensus at home.