The Art of Statecraft in an Age of Strategic Failure
A forthcoming book by analyst Jack Watling examines how the U.S. conflict with Iran exposed persistent failures in American statecraft, arguing that Washington has struggled to coordinate its instruments of power toward coherent foreign policy goals. The excerpt suggests the current administration is unlikely to undertake an honest internal review of those shortcomings.
Why this matters: This matters beyond foreign policy circles because strategic failure at the state level rarely stays contained. When governments cannot assess their own decisions honestly, accountability gaps grow — and those gaps tend to get filled by secrecy, expanded executive authority, or both. The pattern described here is one where power is exercised without clear goals, and no one is asked to answer for the results. That is a governance problem, not just a military one.
Who should care: Cybersecurity · Privacy officers · Administrators · Lawyers · Compliance
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