Bangladesh, Jan. 31 -- For decades, many leading analysts and policymakers have described Americas global strategic doctrine as sophisticated, resilient, even foolproof. From Washingtons vantage point, its blend of military power, economic leverage, intelligence networks, and ideological messaging has been seen as the ultimate toolkit for shaping world affairs. Yet history tells a less flattering story. Again and again, American doctrine has not merely failed but backfired—sometimes spectacularly—in countries as varied as Vietnam, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Venezuela, Egypt, and now, increasingly, Bangladesh.

The problem is not a lack of power. It is a recurring failure of political judgment.

In Vietnam, the war remains th...