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By juxtaposing the republican principles of American’s founding with the current administration’s foreign policy, Larry Wilkerson argued to the large crowd of journalists, scholars, and MEI members that America is diverging from its republican roots. To the question of whether America is a radical republic, Colonel Larry Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff of the Department of State under Colin Powell State, answered a resounding “yes.”

Colonel Larry Wilkerson quoted Alexis de Tocqueville in one of several references to the era of the founding of America: “America is great because America is good. And America will cease being great if America ceases being good.”

For Colonel Wilkerson, this radicalization is not found in American culture or history, but represents a stark break from both. Wilkerson recounted how Thomas Jefferson and other founders envisioned the Constitution as heralding a brighter era of human history, enshrining limited, representative government and Enlightenment values. In order to preserve these republican principles, Wilkerson contended that Americans must remain vigilant in opposing governmental usurpation of liberty and resolve to use power in a responsible and just manner.

Following World War II, Wilkerson described how the US found itself in a preeminent position in the international community and was confronted with the question of how to use its power and prestige as a force of good in the world. Wilkerson contended that the US has attempted to reconcile the tension between its founding values and national security interests

with the passage of legislation such as the National Security Act of 1947. The major challenge has been balancing this commitment to national values with the fiscal and national security concerns generated by geopolitical realities.

According to Colonel Wilkerson, radical changes in US foreign policy began to take place early in 2001 and intensified as a consequence of the attacks of September 11th. These changes were not only the result of ideology, as the neo-conservatives emerged as powerful political players in the Bush Administration, but also of individual personalities who have impacted policymaking. Among these personalities, Wilkerson pointed to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney, who he characterized as wielding

unprecedented power at the expense of other individuals in the government, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and to the detriment of the historical system of checks and balances.

Wilkerson explained that the administration’s radical policies were often couched in terminology that appeared favorable to American values, such as seeking to establish a global “balance of power that favors freedom.” Beneath the rhetoric, however, was a radical change in outlook, which has upset the balance in the great compromise between American national interests and cultural values. Wilkerson cited the policy of preemptive

war, the shift away from alliance-building and international cooperation, and the detainee abuse scandal as some of the most troubling recent developments in this administration’s outlook.

Colonel Wilkerson addressed current policies that represent this radical trend, including the policies toward Iran, North Korea, China, and ballistic missile funding. He argued that these policies have been dictated by a small number of ideologically driven individuals, who have assumed enough power to sabotage dissent and reshape America’s relationship with much of the world.

Colonel Wilkerson also explained the costs of these policies. In the case of Iran, the policy of refusing to negotiate with a so-called evil state has cost America any leverage against the aspiring nuclear power, and is a radical policy. The cost of the policy of non-negotiation towards North Korea has resulted in its possession of nuclear weapons, while the United States’ ability to monitor its nuclear program has been lost. The large expenditures on ballistic weapons, which Wilkerson deemed ineffective at best, have taken money away from other needed

operations. Colonel Wilkerson also warned against allowing the radicals within the administration to assume a hostile position towards China. He attributed the desire to turn China into the next Soviet Union in part to the enormous influence of the military-industrial complex.

Colonel Wilkerson expressed an urgent need to reform the current system and the process of making foreign policy. He described a culture war being waged within the government, the outcome of which will determine whether America will become a military state, or preserve its cultural values and republican system of balanced government. He said it is necessary to reform the National Security Act and to rearrange the government on a broad and comprehensive scale in order to render it more accountable to the people. He emphasized the importance of remembering America’s founding principles by studying the Constitution and foundational texts. He concluded by warning the audience that the greatest enemy America faces today is not an external threat, but is brewing within.