The US is addicted to greatness – and haunted by its loss
Great powers, both past and present, are often preoccupied by three interconnected themes: a sense of national superiority, claims to a manifest historic destiny, and fears of decline. These fears are frequently followed by attempts at national rebirth.
This pattern can be seen in the history of European empires, especially the British and French. After the collapse of its empire, France, under Charles de Gaulle, made “grandeur” a cornerstone of its national identity and foreign policy. Similarly, despite economic improvements, Britain became obsessed with decline after decolonization. The postwar period saw a cultural renaissance with the rise of “cool Britannia” and Tony Blair’s embrace of European integration in the 1990s. However, in the wake of the 2008 banking crisis and the 2016 Brexit referendum, concerns about Britain’s diminishing global stature resurfaced.
In the case of Britain, nationalism is often cloaked in optimism about a “global Britain,” even as the country faces its first-ever decline in living standards. This stark contrast between national rhetoric and the economic reality of the country’s global position speaks to the tension between mythic grandeur and practical concerns. The current British obsession with regaining its perceived past greatness blinds its leadership to the more pragmatic evaluation of the nation’s true role in the world today.
The United States, like other former global powers, is similarly caught in the cycle of perceived greatness and inevitable decline. American exceptionalism and the belief in its destined global leadership have been deeply ingrained in the national psyche. However, in recent years, as the country faces challenges on the global stage and internal divisions intensify, fears of decline have surfaced. These fears feed into the need for a new national project aimed at restoring the country’s former status.
Such reflections on decline and rebirth are not merely historical. They are deeply embedded in contemporary political debates and rhetoric in the United States. The tension between nostalgia for past American dominance and the pressures of modern geopolitics and domestic inequality continues to shape the political discourse. While America’s hubris—its belief in its invincibility—remains a powerful force, it is increasingly haunted by the notion that its dominance might be slipping away. The question, then, is how America can reconcile its myth of exceptionalism with the realities of a changing global order.
This same internal conflict that led to Brexit is reflected in American political life. The United States, like Britain, must confront the tension between maintaining the image of global leadership and addressing its internal struggles. As both nations navigate the post-imperial world, the debate over national identity and the projection of power continues to shape their futures. America, too, must come to terms with its place in a world that no longer revolves around its dominance.
