r 2, "Foreign Policy and National Interests," the authors again emphasize that "we must not see [foreign policy] decisions too simply" (28). This is important from the viewpoint of the policy-makers because small decisions can lead to major commitments. Past-future linkages, therefore, must be closely considered and analyzed, along with national interest, counter-balancing national interests, balance of power, threat estimates, and third-party influences. Each of these factors is complex on its own, but they are also interrelated and must be considered in relation to one another.
In the past, as the authors write, the United States could formulate its foreign policy with more independence, but that day is past. Before Pearl Harbor, for example, there was a serious debate in the United States between those who wanted to have a policy based on isolation and those who wanted it based on intervention. Today, th
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