ABSTRACT
A solidly practical, one-thing-at-a-time pragmatism is the Anglo-Saxon virtue in the realm of foreign affairs, as in most things. Consider the standard criticism of American foreign policy since the end of the Cold War, and more especially since the advent of the Bill Clinton administration. The United States explicitly endorses the Chinese claim of sovereignty over Taiwan, and consistently rejects the attempts of the Republic of China to regain diplomatic recognition. The US Congress lacks the inhibitions of the French National Assembly, American mass media are little given to deference, and few private institutions strive to adhere as closely as possible to government policies, unless they happen to coincide with their own goals. Many other changes would logically have to follow in American policy towards its present European allies, and indeed towards Europe and its institutions as a whole, to achieve consistency with the new priority of containing China with Russian cooperation.
