Strategic Competition > Unity & Resolve
Cultivating National Unity and Resolve
Kennedy with George Washington University Students in front of the White House.
Strategic Framing
- A divided nation cannot lead a divided world. In the face of growing geopolitical threats, the United States must first restore a shared sense of purpose at home.
- Strategic competition with authoritarian powers is not just about military or economic strength—it is about national cohesion, democratic vitality, and the will to lead.
- The only thing written on America’s national seal is E Pluribus Unum—“Out of many, one.” That is the essence of constitutional democracy. Democracy only works by bringing different sides together.
- Unity does not mean uniformity. It means forging consensus around core values and common interests, even amid debate. That is the American way—and it is our greatest competitive strength.
Rebuilding Domestic Consensus on America’s Global Role
- After decades of war fatigue and partisan gridlock, Americans are divided over whether—and how—the U.S. should lead.
- Yet global leadership is not a luxury. It is a strategic imperative in a world where authoritarian regimes seek to rewrite the rules.
- We must rebuild a bipartisan foundation for foreign policy—one rooted in realism, restraint, and responsible engagement.
- Leaders across sectors—government, education, business, and media—must help Americans understand that what happens abroad shapes opportunity, security, and freedom at home.
Civic Education as Strategic Infrastructure
- A democracy cannot compete globally if its citizens do not understand the stakes.
- We must invest in civic education at all levels—teaching not just history and institutions, but the responsibilities of global citizenship.
- Strengthening civic literacy enables Americans to spot disinformation, engage constructively across divides,recognize how strategic competition impacts their daily lives—from supply chains to AI to the defense budget
- Universities and K–12 schools have a central role to play in preparing the next generation to lead with knowledge and conviction.
Bipartisan Leadership in Foreign Affairs
- In the most consequential moments in U.S. history, foreign policy has transcended partisanship—from the Marshall Plan to NATO’s formation.
- Today, facing long-term competition with China and Russia, bipartisanship must once again become the norm, not the exception.
- Congressional committees, governors, and former leaders of both parties must champion stable funding for defense and diplomacy, cross-party delegations abroad shared messaging on America’s role in the world.
- Foreign policy consensus is not weakness—it is national strength.
Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA) and Kennedy with General Odierno in Iraq. Note their discussion on bipartisanship below.
Resilience Against Disinformation and Polarization
- Adversaries like China and Russia exploit America’s divisions to weaken its resolve. Combating this requires:
- Digital literacy programs
- Platform accountability
- Presenting Chinese controlled algorithms from influencing American public opinion
Resilience is about more than security—it is about truth, trust, and the health of the democratic fabric.
Closing Reflection
- Strategic competition is not only fought in boardrooms and battlefields—it is won or lost in classrooms, communities, and conversations.
- E Pluribus Unum is not just a motto—it is a national strategy. America’s ability to unite around its founding ideals, even in disagreement, is what has always made it exceptional. That unity must be renewed if we are to lead in a contested century.
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