IN HIS BOOK “Strategy of Denial”, published in 2021, Elbridge Colby argued that America’s armed forces were too stretched(捉襟见肘的) to deal with every enemy around the world. Mr Colby, then a think-tanker who had served in Donald Trump’s first administration, declared that China was the priority. America “should seek to avoid, reduce, or eliminate costly or demanding commitments in other parts of the world”, he maintained. “What is used for the Middle East”, he predicted, “will not be available for Asia.” That analysis is holding up(成立；持续有效), perhaps to Mr Colby’s dismay(沮丧；惊愕).
在2021年出版的《否认战略》一书中，埃尔布里奇·科尔比认为，美国武装力量过于捉襟见肘，无法应对世界各地的每一个敌人。当时在特朗普首届政府任职过的智库人士科尔比宣称，中国才是优先事项。他主张，美国“应寻求避免、减少或消除在世界其他地区代价高昂或要求苛刻的承诺”。他预测，“用于中东的资源，将无法用于亚洲。”这一分析正在应验，或许令科尔比感到沮丧。
For more than 80 years America built a military footprint(足迹；影响范围) to assert itself as global policeman. Now Donald Trump is redefining America’s role, with Mr Colby as the Pentagon’s policy chief. In his national defence strategy, published in January, Mr Trump criticised previous administrations that had fought “war after rudderless war(无舵的战争；无方向的战争)” and promised a “focused(聚焦的；专注的)” approach.
80多年来，美国建立军事足迹以彰显其全球警察的角色。如今，唐纳德·特朗普正在重新定义美国的角色，由科尔比担任五角大楼政策主管。在1月发布的国防战略中，特朗普批评前几届政府打了“一场又一场无舵的战争”，并承诺采取“聚焦”的方式。
In the Middle East, though, America is not only failing to prune(修剪；削减) forces, but waging a war with Iran that has recently escalated(升级；加剧), with four American soldiers killed in recent days and more than 100 injured since July 7th. Cuts in Europe have so far been limited and done little to bolster(支撑；加强) defences in the Pacific. Far from gaining new focus, under Mr Trump, America’s military presence remains stubbornly diffuse(分散的；弥漫的).
然而在中东，美国不仅未能削减兵力，反而正在与伊朗进行一场近期升级的战争，最近几天有四名美国士兵阵亡，自7月7日以来已有100多人受伤。欧洲的削减迄今有限，且对加强太平洋防御作用甚微。特朗普治下，美国的军事存在远未获得新的聚焦，反而依然顽固地分散。
Donroe decisions
门罗式决策