ABSTRACT
When it comes to the use of military force to help citizens in other countries, U.S. policy is inconsistent at best. The United States will use military power to “save strangers,” but it has to be done when there is minimal cost. Policy-making elites understand this and are thus prudent about risky involvements perceived as devoid of national self-interest. This is the case even when atrocities are committed. The recent case of Syria and U.S. reluctance to take action against Assad’s regime, despite the thousands killed and the humanitarian disaster it has provoked, demonstrates clearly the pull of parochial nationalism. When costs are high, it is easy for Americans to overlook, if not totally forget, their supposed unique mission to make the world freer and safer for all.
