A return to the principles of globalism, strong anticommunism, and containment does not appear to be in the best interests of the United States at the present time. The priorities of this administration, a resolve to reassert American global leadership, protect interests worldwide, and contain the Soviet Union are predicated on principles of hegemony and preponderance that were short-lived and are now long gone. The United States is no longer the only viable political and economic leader as once was the case. Through the post-war reconstruction and revitalization engineered by the United States, Japan, West Germany, South Korea as well as many other nations have become economic rivals if not superiors (as is the case with Japan in many sectors). Yet, the defense policies of the Reagan administration take into account neither the diminished ability of the United States to enforce order in the world system, as evinced in an independent European Community and the existence of OPEC, nor the reluctance of the members of the system itself to continue as pawns in a"'grand strategy"' of a U.S.-dominated world order. The present decentralized structure of power and the beneficial relationships this structure now holds for previously subserviant nations who now need not rely on the United States as"'world benefactor"' are factors that mitigate the impact of U.S. leadership. / M.A.