The resurgence of American isolationism

Summers for me provide the time to read books that are relevant to my research. My summer books often prove to reinvigorate my interests and passion for understanding and explaining America’s role in the world. This year was no different as I read the wonderfully well-written 2019 biography of the U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke, written by George Packer. Holbrooke is most well known in the history books for his cajoling and strong-arming the opposing sides of the Bosnian War to sign the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995.

While the events at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio are a prime focus of Packer’s book, Packer uses the span of Holbrooke’s political life as a living example of the rise and fall of the “American Century.” As we slide into the U.S. 2024 presidential primary season, contemplating what Americans think about what is also called “Pax Americana,” feels like a good thought exercise.