America's Grand Strategy: Implications for Sweden

This is a study of America´s Grand Strategy, its components and its implications for Sweden. The relationship between grand strategy, empire and geopolitics is studied. Analyzing post cold war America as an empire we argue that Sweden is one of the fourty nations belonging to that empire. The geopolitics of the empire is expressed in its global presence and the changes in this world wide deployment. The new national security strategy of 2002 forms the basis of the new grand strategy of the United States. It is contrasted with the cold war strategy. Specific weaknesses of the American Empire and the challenge to its legitimacy are analyzed. The national security policy of Sweden fits well with its role in the empire since it is consistent with its policy within the EU. Since almost all candidates have joined NATO Sweden´s membership in Partnership for Peace will not prevent its marginalization in euroatlantic affairs.