I once had a friend who spent a lifetime attending diplomatic receptions, mostly in the developing world where the attendance of a U.S. official meant something.
Early on in her career, she was listed as a third secretary. That is not high on the totem pole. Yet when she would attend receptions in this particular Middle Eastern state, she was treated like royalty. Numerous ambassadors would talk to her. Host nation officials would make sure she always had a drink in hand and was fully fed. A two-hour reception entailed meeting with fellow diplomats, members of the press corps, and private-sector officials. Why was the U.S. presence so important for the host of such events?
Because the United States stood for something. Yes, we were the military powerhouse of the globe, no doubt. But there was more. The U.S. was an idea that mattered. Political and economic freedom was the defining concept of our nation. We were the top dog because we stood for things that mattered and for things that so many around the globe also strive for.
Yet in 2021, we have fallen in the eyes of the world. The Trump presidency was a debacle for our standing overseas. Former President Donald Trump’s embrace of authoritarianism and his assault on the basic rules and norms that were foundational to our country were seen in vivid color by nations around the world. American exceptionalism was a concept once embraced abroad and then subsequently questioned. Several former colleagues of mine noted in dismay that during Trump era diplomatic receptions, ambassadors of autocratic countries would slide up to U.S. officials and, in essence, say, “Same, same.”
How do we get back to being the shining city on the hill?
The battle of ideas underway — a demonstrably left-leaning Democratic Party that wants to supersize the welfare state, a center-right population that likely thinks this is going too far, and a Republican Party that sees itself as battling against a slide toward socialism — is all part of welcome political discourse. That debate is proper to have, bring it on! But make no mistake: Trump should not be a part of our political future. His name is synonymous with dictatorship, autocracy, demagoguery, and yes, a disgraceful storming of our democratic aorta.
But America must also demonstrate that it can lead internationally. We must act in a similar fashion to our response to the great global threats of the past.
One option is so simple, so cheap in the context of gargantuan U.S. defense budgets, that it should be enacted immediately. Hopefully even with some bipartisan support. It is the simple proposal that the U.S. must provide the COVID-19 vaccine to the globe. That is correct — to everyone. A mass Marshall Plan-like program to dose the planet.
What would be the cost?
Perhaps $50 billion to $70 billion. Not small change, to be sure. But the U.S. defense budget is more than $700 billion a year. Spending less than a 10th of that on such a program is not a great deal of money, given the return on investment that we would receive. As with the Marshall Plan, this wouldn’t just be about being kind. The longer the pandemic sustains, the more risk of variants developing that might puncture or reduce the effectiveness of vaccines. Moreover, in 2021, great power competition dominates our international relations discourse. Russia and China practice hybrid warfare against the U.S. on a daily basis, from cyberattacks to influence operations, yet we seem loath to respond in kind. We are playing checkers, while our adversaries are playing chess.
In order to regain our footing against China and Russia, we must engage them in the gray zone on all levels and in all corners of the globe, both defensively and offensively. One such action to take would be this Marshall Plan for vaccinations. In fact, there would be no more compassionate an operation than to vaccinate the planet. This is a pure, basic promotion of American charity. It would stand us in stark contrast to the strings-attached dealings China applies to its foreign aid and to the cold brutality of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.
As President Ronald Reagan once said, “America is great when America is good.” Can you imagine that third secretary attending a diplomatic reception after the U.S. had vaccinated everyone on the African continent?
Who gets the seat at the head table? The Chinese ambassador? I think not.
Marc Polymeropoulos is a former CIA senior operations officer. He retired in 2019 after a 26-year career serving in the Near East and South Asia. His book, Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA, was published in June 2021 by Harper Collins.
