By Max Fisher and Amanda Taub
October 9, 2016
What to do about Syria?
It is an urgent problem that has consumed foreign policy discussions for the last few years. But much more is involved than the fate of a single country in the Middle East. Underlying the Syria issue is a set of questions that have animated every major debate over foreign policy for a century: What is America’s role in the world, what are its obligations, and what happens if it falls short of meeting them?
One strain of thought holds that America has a mission to champion democracy and human rights, granting it a unique role in the world, along with special powers and obligations. But that idea has always been controversial, with skeptics arguing it is an alluring myth — and a potentially dangerous notion.
Joseph S. Nye Jr., a Harvard political scientist, said the Syrian war, like previous conflicts, had become a surrogate for this debate.
“That’s a recurring theme throughout our history,” Professor Nye said, “going back to the founding myths that the Americans are different.” …
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