Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday denounced those who advocate “an American retreat from responsibility” and said sustained U.S. leadership is needed to help keep the world as safe, free and prosperous as possible. He also urged Congress to end the partisan gridlock that has stalled the federal budget and war spending.
The United States must reject calls to turn away from global interests and become more isolationist, he told an audience of lawmakers, corporate and defense leaders and government officials attending a security conference. Those who “try to pull up the drawbridge,” he said, undermine the security that has led to decades of prosperity.
We can mind our own business and remain leaders in world affairs by focusing our efforts on issues that involve the entire community and step back from the cowboy diplomacy of the Bush era. We stop acting unilaterally and start acting cooperatively, backing UN resolutions that enhance human rights and progress and supporting allies who are defending themselves.