Other states cannot safely disarm on the assumption that the United States will always protect them. Calling America the world's police does not identify who appointed it, pays it, or governs its decisions. Britain's older self-image as the world's umpire carries a different expectation of its international role. Criticism of American isolationism coexists here with a demand for allies to contribute more capability. Spain becomes a point of disagreement: one view treats its forces as useful additional capacity, while another insists that a country able to contribute more should do so.
Notable Point · 2:00:02-2:02:27
World police, imperial umpire, and alliance burden sharing
America's self-appointed world-police role differs from Britain's older image of an imperial umpire, and allies cannot outsource every security obligation.