A Grand Strategy Based on Resilience
Erica D. Borghard
January 4, 2021
Recent revelations about the SolarWinds breach, in which ostensibly Russian threat actors exploited a critical node in the information and communications technology supply chain to gain access to U.S. government and private sector networks at an enormous scope and scale, are yet another example in a growing list of incidents that reveals ways in which America’s institutions, economy, and society are vulnerable. Other events — those that are actually disruptive — have more starkly exposed America’s vulnerabilities, most obviously the coronavirus pandemic, the ensuing economic recession, and exacerbation of preexisting income and racial inequalities.
It is nearly inevitable that disruptive events will continue to take place in the future. These may stem from geopolitical causes as the balance of power in the international system continues to evolve toward multipolarity, or other causes like climate change. Given this reality, the notion that resilience should be a cornerstone of American grand strategy has gained increasing attention. For example, in an article in Foreign Affairs this past fall, Ganesh Sitaraman calls for the United States to adopt a grand strategy of resilience. Sitaraman lays out a broad vision based on the objective of defending American democracy in an environment beset by various disruptions. But, while the defense of democracy is certainly important, is it the only purpose of American grand strategy? And how would the United States implement a grand strategy of resilience?
https://warontherocks.com/2021/01/a-grand-strategy-based-on-resilience/
