In a recent edition of Hillsdale College?s Imprimis, Claremont Institute President Brian Kennedy rebuts some myths associated with American foreign policy.

Among them is the notion that ?winning? the Cold War led to some finality in the competition with Russia:

[F]or their part, conservatives have been basking in the glow of ?winning the Cold War.? But in what sense was it won, it might be asked, given that we neither disarmed Russia of its nuclear arsenal nor put a stop to its active measures to undermine us. The transformation of some of the former captive nations into liberal democracies is certainly worth celebrating, but given the Russian government?s brutally repressive domestic policies and strengthened alliances with America?s enemies abroad over the past 20 years, conservatives have overdone it.

Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that our policy toward Russia has been exceedingly foolish. For the past two decades we have paid the Russians to dismantle nuclear warheads they would have dismantled anyway, while they have used those resources to modernize their ballistic missiles. On our part, we have not even tested a nuclear warhead since 1992?which is to say that we aren?t certain they work anymore. Nor have we maintained any tactical nuclear weapons. Nor, to repeat, have we built the missile defense system first proposed by President Reagan.

Just last month, with bipartisan backing from members of the foreign policy establishment, the Senate ratified the New Start Treaty, which will further reduce our nuclear arsenal and will almost certainly cause further delays in building missile defenses?and this with a nation that engages in massive deception against us, supports our enemies, and builds ever more advanced nuclear weapons.

Kennedy also outlines concerns about Islamic extremists and Chinese military developments. If you?re looking for a bright side, you might want to revisit Victor David Hanson?s recent observations about ?American decline.?