Tiberiu TRONCOTĂ

As we approach to the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the U.S. appears increasingly but is not always able to exercise that most essential ingredient of statecraft – the ability to achieve desired outcomes. On the contrary, as the post-Cold War decade has proceeded, American policymakers have encountered increasing frustrations if not outright failure, and there is a growing perception among many that the U.S. is out of step with the rest of the international community.
The U.S. will need to rethink its style of leadership. For the foreseeable future, the U.S. will remain first among equals in NATO, which, like all successful alliances throughout history, will continue to require the U.S. to play the role of the “strong power willing and able to pay the costs of leadership.” Allied perceptions of American unilateralism, self-congratulation, and moral righteousness can have a far more deleterious affect on the partnership than is often recognized in Washington. While American self-perceptions of “benign hegemony” may be fully justified by the facts of U.S. behavior and policy, the content of U.S. rhetoric and style of American presentation needs to be more conscious of the sensitivities of the foreign audience. In particular, as U.S. proceeds to develop national strategies, they need to recognize the legitimacy of national interests that are not identical to U.S.