An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom

John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, argues that only strong American leadership can combat the threats that exist in today’s world. Modern Americans enjoy unprecedented peace and prosperity, but – like their forefathers – they also have a responsibility to use their advantages to confront the great challenges of their time. McCain stresses that strong alliances are useful as the US faces strong potential enemies. In proposing a “League of Democracies” that bypasses rivals like Russia and China, McCain suggests that he sees selective alliance-building as an alternative, and not a complement, to broader international engagement: The US must pursue cooperation with friends in preparing for confrontation with its foes. In McCain’s view, the US faces a new set of global threats; it must face those threats with the same relationships and the same vigor with which it faced the epic threats of old. – YaleGlobal