Foreign Policy

“Soviet Union foreign policy is a puzzle inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma, and the key is Russian nationalism.”

- Winston Churchill

“Whatever it is that the government does, sensible Americans would prefer that the government does it to somebody else. This is the idea behind foreign policy.”

-P.J. O’ Rourke

“Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us”

-JFK

“Bill Clinton's foreign policy experience stems mainly from having breakfast at the International House of Pancakes.”

-Pat Buchanan “Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy, because human rights is the very soul of our sense of nationhood.”

-Jimmy Carter

What is foreign policy?

Foreign policy is defined as the diplomatic policy of a nation in its interactions with other nations, but there are many aspects to a nation’s foreign policy, and many specific terms used.

Superpower

A superpower is a state with a leading position in the international system and the ability to influence events and project power on a worldwide scale.

US, USSR, British Empire (before Cold War)Brazil, China, EU, India, Russia (after Cold War)

Nonaligned

A country not allied with any other nations, neutral

Balance of Power

The distribution of power in which no single nation is able to dominate or interfere with others

Arms Race

A competition between nations to have the most powerful armaments.

Neutrality

The state or policy of being non partisan, especially during war

Isolationism

National policy of abstaining from political or economic relations with other countries.

Monroe Doctrine

(1823) US doctrine proclaiming the British had no right to interfere and colonize with the affairs of the newly independent nations of the Americas.

Roosevelt Corollary

(1904) Declaration made by Teddy Roosevelt which authorized US intervention in the affairs of neighboring American countries in order to counter threats posed to the US security and interests.

Containment

US strategy in the early years of the Cold War to prevent Communism from spreading.

Domino Theory

Theory promoted by the government that if one region came under Communist influence, then the surrounding regions would also.

“Finally, you have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the "falling domino" principle. You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the

first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over

very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would

have the most profound influences.”

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

Domino Theory Continued

Past Present

Foreign Policy: The Presidential Campaign

John McCain on foreign policy in Iraq "Increasing U.S. troop levels will expose more

brave Americans to danger and increase the number of American casualties. When Congress authorized this war, we committed America to a mission that entails the greatest sacrifice a country can make, one that falls disproportionately on those Americans who love their country so much that they volunteer to risk their lives to accomplish that mission. And when we authorized this war, we accepted the responsibility to make sure those men and women could prevail. Extending combat tours and accelerating the deployment of additional troops is a terrible sacrifice to impose on the best patriots among us, and they will understandably be disappointed when they are given that order. Then they will shoulder their weapons and do everything they can to protect our country's vital interests in Iraq."

Hillary Clinton on foreign policy in Iraq

Non-interference. Working with the U.N. representative, the group would work to convince Iraq's neighbors to refrain from getting involved in the civil war. Mediation. The group would attempt to mediate among the different sectarian groups in Iraq with the goal of attaining compromises on fundamental points of disputes. Reconstruction funding. The members of the group would hold themselves and other countries to their past pledges to provide funding to Iraq and will encourage additional contributions to meet Iraq's extensive needs.

Barack Obama on foreign policy in Iraq

Bringing Our Troops HomeObama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.

Barack Obama continuedPress Iraq’s Leaders to ReconcileThe best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obama will engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society – in and out of government – to seek a new accord on Iraq’s Constitution and governance. The United Nations will play a central role in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new national accord is reached addressing tough questions like federalism and oil revenue-sharing.

Barack Obama ContinuedRegional DiplomacyObama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors — including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction.

Barack Obama ContinuedHumanitarian InitiativeObama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis — two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obama will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.

Some questions to ponder…Do we support any nation that goes along with us, or only those that are reasonably free and democratic? (Pakistan, Argentina, Cuba, Russia, China)Are we the world’s policeman? We did not intervene to prevent China from occupying Tibet, to end the massacre of thousands of Tutsis in Rwanda. But we did intervene to try to end a dictatorship in Haiti, to help starving people in Somalia, to turn back an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, and to punish Serbs who were attacking Kosovo…Why the bipolarity? Or are these decisions strategically made?

Kinds of Foreign Policy

Majoritarion politics (perceived to have widely distributed benefits and impose widely distributed costs)

WarEstablishing military alliances with western EuropeSALT

Interest Group politicsTariffs (help businesses, impose costs on other firms and unions)

Ex: if the price of Japanese steel imported into this country is increased by tariffs, or quotas, it helps American steel companies and workers, but it hurts firms that had been purchasing the once-cheap Japanese steel.

Client PoliticsWashington often provides aid to American corporations doing business abroad because the aid helps those firms directly without imposing any apparent costs on an equally distinct group in society.

Ex: “our policy toward Israel has in part reflected the fact that Jews in this country feel strongly about the need to support a Jewish state abroad and are well organized to make those concerns felt.” – our textbook

The President’s Role1845: James K Polk sent troops into Mexico to defend newly acquired Texas1861: Abraham Lincoln blockaded southern ports and declared martial law 1950: Harry Truman sent American troops into S. Korea to help them repulse an attack from N. Korea.1960’s: JFK and LBJ sent American forces into S. Vietnam without a declaration of war1983: Reagan sent troops to overthrow a pro-Castro regime in Grenada

1989: George HW Bush ordered invasion of Panama to depose dictator Manuel Noriega1990: Bush ordered troops to Saudi Arabia in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait1999: Bill Clinton ordered the military to attack with bombs and cruise missiles Serbian forces that were trying to control Kosovo2001: George W. Bush sent US troops to liberate Afghanistan from the Taliban2003: The city of Baghdad was bombed

Worldviews and how they shape foreign policy

Worldviews (paradigms) are comprehensive mental pictures of the critical problems facing the United States in the world and of the appropriate and inappropriate ways of responding to these problems.

Four key worldviews in American Foreign Policy

1. Isolationism: Adopted after WWI because our efforts to help European allies had turned sour, lost thousands of American lives, and had not made the world “safe for democracy” as Woodrow Wilson had stated. This was very popular from the 1920’s to late 30’s.

2. Containment: Result of WWII/Pearl HarborAn attempt to build a network of defensive alliances in Europe and Asia to intervene with the spread of communism/ other corrupt governments (Korea, Vietnam, Eastern Europe)

3. Disengagement: aka “Vietnam” view, meaning entry into Vietnam, or any current entanglement, had/has led to a military defeat and a domestic political disaster. Considered an elitist viewpoint; thinking war is immoral and being reluctant to American military involvement elsewhere.

4. Human rights:Idea that the US should intervene in other countries’ affairs when human rights are being violated. Geneva conventions provide guidelines http://www.spj.org/gc-texts.asp

Other things that shape foreign policy

Economy (current “recession”)Environment (Kyoto protocol)Personal dogmas The United Nations, NATO, SALT

What do you think?

These are a few highlights from John Perkins’s book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. According to the author, economic hit men are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. They play a games as old as Empire but one that has taken on terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.”

1974- Saudi royal family agrees to invest billions of dollars of oil income in US securities and to allow the US Dept. of Treasury to use the interest from those investments to hire US firms to build power and water systems, highways, ports, and cities in the kingdom. In exchange, the US guarantees the royal family will continue to rule.

1981- Ecuadorian president Jaime Roldos (who is against American oil interests) and Panamanian president Omar Torrijos (wants Panama Canal to be strictly under their rule) die in fiery airplane crashes that have markings of CIA assassinations.

So events like this have shaped our foreign policy…

Or maybe…The US should not negotiate with communist countries such as Cuba, Colombia, and should also avoid relationships with unstable countries such as Iran and North Korea that want nuclear proliferation.The US was attacked out of the blue on 9/11 and had every right to invade Afghanistan to find and eradicate Taliban and Al Qaeda.In a continuing effort to secure the nation, the government believed that a pre-emptive strike was necessary in Iraq, a volatile dictatorship that has been known for its support of terrorist groups such as the Taliban and Al Qaeda.