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Theodore Roosevelt may have been a believer in "Machtpolitik," but for all the flaws typically mentioned with respect to such views, the world does seem to require some relative stability. Clearly, there will always be problems and an element of anarchy in contrast to the views of legalistic liberal internationalists who believe law will solve all problems if adhered to. At the same time, having a power that can tilt in ways that keep "Great Power" conflict of the sort seen in 1914 and 1939 in check, must be seen as mostly, if not absolutely, a positive thing.
With that in mind, one must raise the question whether the complexity of global affairs necessitates a strong Executive to deal with rapidly developing issues with speed, discretion, and, perhaps depending on the circumstances, secrecy.
Congress appears ill equipped to do this. It is unwieldly for the purposes of dealing with foreign relations, except in the broadest of perspectives.
It is a perennial question of history whether a Republic can maintain it's republican character as its interests expand to include larger and larger geographic areas thus forcing the republic into the realm of geopolitical calculation. History has not given us a conclusive answer at this point. However, to attempt to shed the geopolitical responsibility once attained cannot be the response for those that want to retain the Republic. Rather, we should reexamine where our lost virtue has gone, for it is the lack of virtue, more than any other single cause, that erodes the ability of man to freely govern himself.
Global power need not, and certainly not by definition, mean the end of a Republic. Yet it might herald such a thing, if the people refuse to step up to the responsibilities placed upon their nation's shoulders. "We the People" should not be the cause for Atlas Shrugging. For there are worse things than a loss of freedom, anarchy being paramount among them.
History waits to judge this generation as it has every other. Here's to hoping that we reclaim our virtue and preserve our right to freedom as a nation and are not forced into making a Faustian Bargain to avoid worse fates in the future.
You cover a lot of ground here. I'll have to reply in a post a bit later on.