Unfortunately, the narrative of American decline has gained so much traction in recent years that even US officials seem to have started to believe it, pursuing weak and piecemeal policies (or, in some cases, doing nothing at all). President Barack Obama’s restrained foreign-policy approach appears to be fueling, not reducing, global instability.
不幸的是，美国衰落的说法在近几年中获得了巨大的市场，就连美国官员也似乎已经开始相信它，推行弱势的零星政策（在有些问题上甚至无所作为）。总统奥巴马的克制外交方针助长而不是遏制了全球动荡。