Author Description

September 11 was the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. Yet even though the forces of Islamic totalitarianism are materially far weaker than the enemies we faced in World War II, and even though America’s military strength is unrivaled, the Afghanistan and Iraq wars became quagmires. U.S. combat forces are set to withdraw from both places, without victory in either. Jihadists have not only carried out murderous attacks around the world, they have weakened the West by battering a pillar of free societies: the secular principle of freedom of speech. What went wrong after 9/11? The fundamental problem lies in the irrational philosophic ideas that permeate—and subvert—American foreign policy. The United States is a military superpower, but it lacks the principles, self-confidence and moral certainty needed to defend itself and its ideals. Our political and intellectual leaders evade the nature of Islamic totalitarianism. And their inability to uphold and defend so vital a right as the freedom of speech has further inspired the jihadists. For twenty years after 9/11, the Ayn Rand Institute predicted that prevailing ideas about morality would undercut our foreign policy and cripple us in action. Those predictions have proven correct. This second edition has been substantially expanded. Added to the op-eds, interviews and essays analyzing American policy from George W. Bush to Barack Obama are writings published between 2016 and 2021. Commentary spanning four quite different presidential administrations underscores the profound impact of philosophic ideas in foreign policy, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office. Can we end the Islamist menace and secure our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness on earth? Yes—easily—if we adopt the right philosophic principles to guide our foreign policy.