America should not abdicate its military duties abroad. But careful cuts in the number of U.S. troops overseas could alleviate some current problems-such as poor troop morale and low readiness-without sacrificing U. S. interests or strategic goals

America's Two-Front Economic Conflict America now faces the prospect of economic conflicts with both Europe and East Asia. The United States and the European Union have already fired the flrst shots of retaliatory sanctions over their ever-growing trade disputes. On the other side of the world, meanwhile, Asian countries are creating a bloc of their own that could include preferential trade arrangements and an Asian Monetary Fund. These developments could produce a tripolar world and hamper global economic integration. To avert this outcome, the United States must quell its domestic backlash against globalization and reassert its economic leadership in the world. The new Bush administration should make multilateral trade liberalization a top priority-or it will face unpleasant economic and political consequences as the U.S. and foreign economies slow

Hemispheric relations seem at an all-time high, as democracy and prosperity blossom throughout Latin America. But President Bush still faces potential problems south of the border, from mission creep in Colombia to chaos in Peru, from Chávez in Venezuela to Castro in Cuba. And then there is Mexico, where the first-ever democratically elected president is eager to engage Washington on his own terms. Only one thing is certain: Latin America must not be ignored