<p>Barack Obama was elected to get the US out of wars; not start them. Hence his reluctance - shared by many of his fellow Americans - to jump head-first into every cauldron of global conflict. But when all is said and done, doesn’t the world still need American leadership, especially when no one else seems quite ready to jump in and take America’s place?</p><br />Simon Serfaty is a well-known US foreign policy specialist and an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. He argues that while many people speak of America's decline - and a geopolitical shift to the Asia-Pacific region - there is still no substitute for US leadership.<br /><br />Visit our website:<br />http://www.france24.com<br /><br />Like us on Facebook:<br />https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English<br /><br />Follow us on Twitter:<br />https://twitter.com/France24_en
