The Uses of American Power

If Congress cranks up the Pentagon's budget as much as President Bush would like, the United States will soon be spending more on defense than all the other countries of the world combined. That is just one measure of America's armed might — and a global imbalance of power the likes of which has probably not been seen since the height of the Roman empire. While the United States is used to regarding itself as a global power, and its status as the sole superpower has steadily grown since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the overwhelming disparity is still a big change. So is the country's willingness to exercise its power in the wake of Sept. 11. Before President Bush decides where next to take the war against terrorism, he and the American people ought to pause for a moment to think about how we intend to behave in this new and awesome role.