In Afghanistan and elsewhere, Washington has to persuade key countries that U.S. power is being used to solve common problems. America’s future power must be based on mutual indispensability: the United States is the indispensable leader because it alone can galvanize coalitions to solve major international problems (most nations know this); other nations are indispensable partners in getting the job done. Others must see clearly that U.S. actions serve their interests as well as America’s and that their interests cannot be advanced save by American leadership.

THIS PRINCIPLE of mutual indispensability, with Washington in the lead, must be the intellectual heart of strategy—but what will keep it pumping is economics. Good strategy is a necessary but insufficient condition for success in the twenty-first century. Money, more money, innovation in management and technology, competitive and skilled workers, and an economy that can trade and invest with the best are also essential. The U.S. economy is the basis of America’s military and diplomatic power and, of course, America’s foreign economic power. Economics is now the principal currency of international affairs, the new precious coin of the realm. Of course, in certain matters, only force and traditional diplomacy are appropriate. But in most international transactions today, it’s economic goodies given or withheld that turn heads.

Obama often speaks of the importance of America’s economic strength. Yet he has not put this point at the core of his national-security agenda, and that’s why he has fallen short. It’s not enough to say, “Our nation must do this.” He has to show how and inspire fear of failure—show how declining economic vitality destroys American power and undermines U.S. interests. He hasn’t established this sense of urgency.

Eisenhower knew the magic here. When the Soviets threatened, he tied it to the U.S. economy. Moscow increased military spending? Ike said our country needed to launch a massive highway-building program so U.S. forces could crisscross the nation more readily. Moscow launched Sputnik? He insisted Congress vastly increase spending on math and science education “to catch up.”

The greatest danger facing America today is economic stagnation and decline as we lose trade and jobs to more competitive and innovative countries. Obama must find the words to reverse the downward slope—to restore research, manufacturing skills and physical infrastructure. He’s got to make Americans understand that without such rejuvenation, we cannot sustain America’s lead in technological or military superiority.

Obama uttered these very thoughts. At West Point in December 2009, he said, “The nation that I’m most interested in building is our own.” But he has only just begun to yoke together the American economy and American security. This should be the stuff of a national crusade, with flags flying and a political strategy to rally Americans. It’s the kind of task great leaders are built for.

Leslie H. Gelb is president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, a former senior official in the State and Defense Departments, and a former New York Times columnist. He is also a member of The National Interest’s Advisory Council.

Image: National Defense University

Image: Pullquote: Obama’s position at the political center in U.S. foreign policy has enabled him to deflect classic Republican charges of liberal weakness that always kept Democrats on the defensive.Essay Types: Essay