Strategic Advantage

By almost any measure, the United States is the most powerful nation in the history of civilization. Our resources are immense. But they are not limitless. Today national security requires agility to stay a step ahead of threats that can rapidly appear and change, and endurance to deal with challengers that are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. The central question for U.S. leaders today is how can we retain our strategic advantage and continue to set the agenda for world affairs? All our other goals - promoting freedom, prosperity, human rights, and ensuring the security of Americans - depend on getting the fundamentals right. "Strategic Advantage: Challengers, Competitors, and Threats to America's Future" is a concise and provocative analysis of national security policy today - and tomorrow. Drawing on history and contemporary examples, Bruce Berkowitz deftly identifies those countries, groups, and movements that pose the greatest challenges to the United States and suggests ways to deal with them. He lucidly analyzes the components of national power - economic clout, military capability, and cultural influence - that America must sustain if it hopes to maintain its position in the world in the decades ahead. "Strategic Advantage" outlines how the United States can stay ahead of potential threats by drawing on the distinctively American culture that rewards entrepreneurship and supports a strong military; by promoting economic growth at home and competing for talent and capital from abroad; by fixing the national security command structure; and by adopting a national strategy that balances goals, costs, and risks. With pacing, foresight, and planning, Berkowitz says, the United States can sustain its global leadership for the long haul.

Bruce Berkowitz is the author of several books about national security affairs, including The New Face of War.