by Robert D. Blackwill & Richard Fontaine (Author's)
Lost Decade stands as an essential guide to understanding the historic shift toward Asia-centric geopolitics and what it means for America’s present and future role in the world. Across the U.S. political spectrum, there is now broad consensus that Asia must occupy the central position in American foreign policy. This idea, formally introduced through the Obama administration’s 2011 “Pivot to Asia,” marked a profound break from the long arc of American grand strategy. More than a decade later, the passage of time allows for a sober and comprehensive assessment of that decision. In Lost Decade, Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine—two of the most experienced voices in U.S. foreign policy—take this long view and deliver a striking verdict: while the strategic logic behind the Pivot was sound, its execution produced remarkably few tangible successes. The authors explore the Pivot from multiple perspectives. They place it within the broader history of U.S. global strategy, reveal the internal policy debates that shaped its emergence, and rigorously evaluate its outcomes in the Indo-Pacific. At the same time, they analyze the unintended consequences of the Pivot in other critical regions, particularly Europe and the Middle East, where American attention and resources were stretched thin. Building on this analysis, Blackwill and Fontaine argue for a far more coherent, disciplined, and resource-backed approach to Asia going forward. A central warning of the book is that the United States now operates with far less margin for foreign-policy error than it did a decade ago. As the international order grows increasingly unstable and China’s power continues to expand, missteps carry heavier and faster consequences. Understanding what the Pivot to Asia sought to achieve—and why it fell short—is therefore not an academic exercise but a strategic necessity. Only by learning from this lost decade, the authors contend, can the United States mobilize the resources, strengthen alliances, and demonstrate the resolve needed to sustain an open, stable order in Asia and beyond. Ultimately, Lost Decade argues that crafting an effective Indo-Pacific strategy is no longer optional. It is essential to safeguarding American security, economic prosperity, and democratic values in a rapidly changing world.
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