All the FPA bloggers have been asked to write a Year in Review post that considers the events of the year and looks forward to the new year. It’s a daunting task, especially with a topic as expansive as the U.S. role in the world. What to focus on? This year has seen many notable events and it’s difficult to find one specific theme for the year. After giving it some thought, I’d like to use two events as bookends for the year and title this review: 2010 – From Haiti to Holbrooke.
This year began with the epic earthquake in Haiti, a quake of such magnitude that even now, twelve months later, the country has yet to recover. The U.S. joined many countries in offering humanitarian and logistical assistance to that impoverished country and I used this blog to highlight the role the U.S. played in providing aid (here and here). Moved by the 24/7 news coverage, the establishment of Presidents Bush and Clinton’s Haiti Fund, and a national fundraising telethon which showcased the talents of Hollywood celebrities lending their starpower to the cause, I joined with millions of other Americans in donating to the relief effort via text message, a free service underwritten by the national cellular services. The U.S. rushed aid to Haiti using our military, diplomatic and civilian resources. It was truly a national effort. The American response to the Haiti earthquake represents an example of the enduring spirit of American generosity and willingness to come to the aid of those in need.
The year ended with the death of an American diplomat, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. At a time when American diplomacy was under attack by Wikileaks, Ambassador Holbrooke represented the best of the best. Even though Wikileaks sought to discredit the U.S. role in the world, their release of secret diplomatic cables revealed, like the career of Richard Holbrooke, that our diplomats are hard-working professionals, diligent, determined and courageous in advancing the interests of their country.
In 2010 the U.S. role in the world was challenged by an economic crisis of our own making and by the burden of two wars. While those events framed the larger picture I’d like to think that our response to the Haiti earthquake and the quiet diligence of our diplomats stationed all over the world provide a theme and a reassurance that American values remained constant and true over the course of the year.
As 2011 begins we can be certain that the U.S. will continue to transition in Iraq and surge in Afghanistan. Can a counterinsurgency strategy work with a deadline? We will continue the elusive quest for peace in the Middle East. Will 2011 be the year for Mideast peace? Having refocused the world on the issue of nuclear proliferation, we will continue to seek to deny access to nuclear material to terrorists and rogue states. Will the nuclear club expand in 2011? As our allies fight the global recession with austerity measures we seem set on a course of stimulus spending. It’s an economic experiment of historic proportions and while the outcome is uncertain, we know that our ability to project a dynamic role in the world depends on the outcome. Will the global recession end in 2011? I’m looking forward to finding the answers to these questions in the coming new year.
