Immediately after World War II, the memory of war, together with the enduring threat posed by the Soviet Union, made plain the importance of building and maintaining a liberal world order. Today, though the need for such an order is just as great, the argument is not nearly as comprehensible or emotionally powerful.
并不总是如此。第二次世界大战刚刚结束时，战争的记忆加上苏联所带来的持续威胁，使得人人都能理解构建和维持自由世界秩序的重要性。如今，尽管对这一秩序的需求与当时同样巨大，但这一论点已不再那么完整或者具有那么强大的情感力量。对规则和制度的讨论给人留下不会流血的引向。政治领导人——尤其是总统——的责任就是找到如何将让最重要的事情显得刻不容缓。