Islamabad, July 16: As the US marks 250 years since its founding, the enduring tension between its founding ideals and interventionist foreign policy continues to shape both American statecraft and the evolving international order. While principles such as liberty, democracy, and constitutional governance remain central to the American identity, the country’s external conduct has increasingly reflected the primacy of national interests, raising important questions about the relationship between moral ideals, pragmatism, and global leadership.
These views were expressed during a seminar titled “America at 250: From Ideals to Interventions,” organized by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad. The session featured Ambassador (r) Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, former foreign secretary and ambassador to the US, as keynote speaker; Dr. Nadeem Mirza, associate professor at Quaid-i-Azam University; Khalid Rahman, chairman, IPS; and Ambassador (r) Syed Abrar Hussain, vice chairman, IPS. The event brought together policy practitioners, members of the diplomatic community, academics, researchers, and students.
Opening the discussion, Ambassador (r) Abrar Hussain reflected on the historical evolution of the US from a republic founded upon the ideals of liberty, self-determination, and democracy to a global power associated with extensive political and military interventions. Tracing key milestones in American history, he observed that the country’s growing international role has continually tested the balance between moral principles and geopolitical interests. He noted that, in today’s increasingly multipolar world, an important question remains whether any great power can preserve its founding ideals while exercising global influence.
Delivering the keynote address, Ambassador (r) Aizaz Chaudhry argued that the US’s remarkable rise over the past 250 years is rooted in the strength of its constitutional foundations, democratic institutions, protection of individual liberties, and commitment to innovation. He highlighted the enduring significance of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, observing that principles such as equality, constitutional governance, checks and balances, economic freedom, and civil liberties created an environment that encouraged scientific advancement, entrepreneurship, and institutional resilience.
At the same time, he noted, the US’s success has been accompanied by significant internal and external challenges. These include the historical legacy of slavery and racial discrimination, widening economic inequality, political polarization, growing public debt, and debates surrounding immigration. While acknowledging the US’s considerable achievements, he emphasized that sustaining democratic ideals requires continuous efforts to address these structural and societal challenges.
Dr. Nadeem Mirza argued that the US progressed gradually through successive phases of survival, sustainability, partnership, and global leadership, with interventionism emerging as a consequence of expanding economic and military capabilities rather than as an abrupt departure from its founding principles. Discussing the intellectual foundations of American foreign policy, he identified moralism, isolationism, and pragmatism as its three enduring pillars. He explained that while the US has consistently promoted universal values such as democracy, human rights, freedom, and self-determination, its foreign policy has generally prioritized national interests whenever these ideals come into conflict with them.
Dr. Mirza further argued that the 19th-century concept of Manifest Destiny gradually evolved into a broader international mission to promote American political values and institutions worldwide. Reflecting on contemporary developments, he observed that recent American administrations, particularly under President Donald Trump, have represented a variation within this long-standing strategic tradition by questioning prolonged military interventions while maintaining a strong emphasis on national interests.
In his concluding remarks, Khalid Rahman observed that the rapidly changing international environment makes it increasingly difficult to analyze global affairs in static terms. He emphasized that a proper understanding of America’s past 250 years must also take into account China’s evolving role and the broader transformation of the international system. He underscored that debates over intervention, power, and global leadership have long existed within American society. He cautioned that if national or commercial interests consistently override ethical considerations, pragmatism risks becoming a justification for abandoning the very values it claims to protect.
The seminar concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session.
