Rich Tucker:
The Future Looks Hard

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

When the decrepit Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, it looked as though the U.S. and our allies would be able to preside over a future of peace and prosperity, governing the planet through our soft power (economic sanctions) rather than hard power (military might).

That made sense to leaders who grew up with memories of the horrors of World War II. The use of hard power had, in their lifetimes, led to millions of deaths. And for a few glorious years, it worked.

In the early 1990s, Russia came -- hat in hand -- begging to...[read more]