Two years ago, the Obama administration announced that U.S. foreign and defense policy would turn away from the Middle East and toward Asia, but the president’s cancellation of a trip to four Asian nations and two regional summits due to the government shutdown has prompted the media and other observers to conclude that the “Asian pivot” was little more than empty rhetoric. It’s yet another damaging blow to America’s standing in the world, and one that is likely to have serious consequences.

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