The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West

by Alexander C. Karp

Our experiment in the West with self-government is fragile. We are not advocating for a thin and shallow patriotism—a substitute for thought and genuine reflection about the merits of our national project as well as its flaws. The United States is far from perfect. But it is easy to forget how much more opportunity exists in this country for those who are not hereditary elites than in any other nation on the planet. It is true that we should hold ourselves and our experiment to a higher standard than that of other nations, but it is also worth remembering how high a standard this country has already set. A more intimate collaboration between the state and the technology sector, and a closer alignment of vision between the two, will be required if the United States and its allies are to maintain an advantage that will constrain our adversaries over the long term. The preconditions for a durable peace often come only from a credible threat of war.