state is one that is isolated, dedicated to the rule of force, oppresses its people, disregards international law, and most of all threatens regional or international security. Based on this working definition, America’s foreign policy history does not support characterization as a rogue state, though its dominant military and some imperialist history are exploited in rogue-America rhetoric. This has led to two trends in rogue-America perception: one toward isolation from other participants in the current world order; and the other of emerging powers exploiting rogue America rhetoric to advance their own ambitions of regional power. Were the United States to be isolated from the world order as a rogue state, global economic and security shocks would result. While there is a trend toward an overly militaristic American foreign policy, this is due more to the American military’s responsiveness and capacity to accomplish non-military activities than a rogue state strategy dedicated to the rule of force. However, American strategic communications have been ineffectual in articulating this distinction, overcoming the stigma associated with militaries as instruments of oppression, and in conveying to the world a concise, sustained and positive message of its National strategy. The role of the military in United States foreign policy expanded after World War II. As an instrument capable of quick action, the American military was increasingly called upon to execute missions other than conventional war as a primary means of demonstrating National resolve. The United States government became more reliant on military options as the military expanded its readiness to accomplish the myriad new missions it was called upon to execute. In the absence of a coherent National strategy following the Cold War, the American government became more reliant on military options and the military expanded its readiness to accomplish the myriad new missions it was called upon to execute. The resulting mission creep created a downward spiral of over reliance on the military instrument of National power: as the US government increasingly called on its military to accomplish foreign policy objectives, the military services expended time and resources to prepare for and execute them, effectively expanding military mission sets and broadening future military employment options. Simultaneously, the other instruments of National power withered from under- use and “peace dividend” budget cuts. Additionally, American foreign policy in the post 9-11 environment exacerbated the perception of America as a rogue state. The United States employed overwhelming force to successfully accomplish military objectives in Afghanistan and Iraq in pursuit of National goals. Without, however, the muscular employment of non-military instruments in the aftermath of these conflicts, America appears indifferent to its stated intent to “actively work to bring the hope of democracy, development, free markets, and free trade to every corner of the world.”

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