The hyperpuissance has become the halfhearted superpower. When Barack Obama abjured the military adventurism of his predecessor he could have been forgiven for hoping for a quieter life. Instead the US president has learnt that a reticent pose offers a flimsy defence against a world falling into systemic disorder.
This week Mr Obama said goodbye to Chuck Hagel. There have been plenty of whispered explanations for the defence secretary’s departure. He had fallen foul of the abrasive temperament of the national security adviser Susan Rice; he added little to meetings about the multiple crises of the moment; or, this slightly to the contrary, he was a little too outspoken about Syria. Perhaps he queried for how long the US can pretend to be fighting both sides in the war between Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the self-styled Islamic State?
Whatever the catalyst, nothing seems likely to change very much. Mr Hagel’s replacement will probably become as frustrated as the last several defence secretaries with micromanagement by the White House. The president shows no inclination to rethink his foreign policy, even as events force a reversal of military disengagement from the Middle East. The Arab world often offers a choice only between bad options.