The Realignment 584 | Shadi Hamid: A Skeptic's Case for American Power
Dec 2, 2025
Shadi Hamid, a Washington Post columnist and author of The Case for American Power, discusses the complexities of U.S. foreign policy. He argues that America can act morally despite its past mistakes and emphasizes the need for U.S. leadership to address global challenges. Hamid also highlights a declining sense of patriotism among Democrats and warns against framing individual elections as existential. He advocates for active engagement from progressives in government to shape policy effectively, stressing the importance of agency and democratic resilience.
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Engage With Institutions To Shape Policy
- Hamid urges progressives to take the harder path of engaging with power rather than resigning from government roles.
- He prefers activists working inside institutions to abandoning influence in the name of moral purity.
Past Sins Don't Make Power Intrinsically Corrupt
- Hamid rejects the notion that past American misdeeds make future wrongdoing inevitable.
- He emphasizes democratic agency can change U.S. policy over time.
Generational Shifts Can Alter Foreign Policy
- Younger Americans' shifting views on Israel/Palestine could reshape U.S. policy within a decade.
- Hamid sees generational change as a lever for more balanced approaches.
