And, as for the type of respect we  Machiavelli's advice--that it is better to be feared than loved--will make much less sense in the 21 st century than it did in the 16 th . Goodwill toward America is becoming a national-security asset worth cultivating.
Goodwill towards American has nothing to do with national security.  
mnli hypothesis: Goodwill towards American has nothing to do with national security.   premise: And, as for the type of respect we  Machiavelli's advice--that it is better to be feared than loved--will make much less sense in the 21 st century than it did in the 16 th . Goodwill toward America is becoming a national-security asset worth cultivating.