America’s diminishing focus on Southeast Asian studies creates a dangerous knowledge vacuum, yielding regional influence to Beijing.
FO Take · Score 92
The US abandonment of Southeast Asian expertise is wilfully myopic. Prioritising short-term geopolitical manoeuvres over deep cultural and linguistic understanding ensures strategic blunders. Washington’s intellectual divestment is Beijing’s gain, leaving America ill-equipped to navigate a critical region. Is wilful ignorance now a foreign policy tenet?
The strongest counter
Focusing solely on academic expertise overlooks the practical diplomatic and economic levers the US still wields. Real-world engagement, not just ivory tower knowledge, shapes foreign policy outcomes.
