philosophy
Return
to Common Sense
May 22, 2009
Section: Foreign – Philosophy
“Republicans seek to craft and nourish allies with common
interests in foreign relationships, while
Democrats seek alliances sacrificing American interests in the process.”
Philosophy (Background, Issues,
Objectives):
Department
of State is tasked to create a more
secure, democratic, and prosperous world:
- Combine diplomatic skills and
development assistance in the global economy.
o Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) take
an oath to serve their country anywhere in the world.
o Unfortunately about one-third of all
US ambassadorships go to "noncareer"
appointees (i.e. mega-rich campaign donors, fishing buddies, and retired
politicians) instead of trained foreign-service officers, who normally are
posted to popular spots like Europe, South America, and the Caribbean
- Protect our nation, our allies,
and our friends against the transnational dangers.
- Strive to build and maintain
strong bilateral and multilateral relationships.
o U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) receives guidance from Department of State.
- Superpower status includes
political, economic, and military strength.
- The fall of the
o Communist States remain in power in
- Non-communist economies began to
fail under the weight of inefficiencies of socialism.
Bedrock
of foreign policy is the belief that freedom is the desire of every human
heart.
- American democratization projects
have had mixed success after World War II.
- There is a direct relationship
between economic freedom and freedom and democracy.
Anti-Americanism
is not only opposition to what the
- Anti-Americanism has many
sources:
·
Some
countries have a legacy of hate, while others envy and others are irrational.
·
·
Hegemonism
is a doctrine where every American action be examined for evil intent.
·
Mainstream Media leftist bias is alive and well outside the United
States.
o Newspapers:
o Television: BBC and Reuters are leftist
oriented.
o BBC own controller of editorial policy
found the real perception of ‘bias of omission.”
o Al Jazeera
(1996) is a
o
o The further south in
o Foreign press displays a leftist bias,
reinforcing Democrat ideas and politicians.
- Marxist revisionism and hatred
for
- The role of world policeman has
been abandoned by the U.N. since they are unable and unwilling.
- The perception of anti-Americanism
is dis-proven by the continued flood of
immigrants yearning to enter this country.
Principles:
Protect
- Government must speak with a
single voice to other countries (not a competition for influence!)
- Use globalization as a tool to
further
- Reward our allies for their
friendship; punish our enemies with our wallets.
- There are essentially three
approaches that the
o Interventionalist – activist nation, spreader of
political liberty.
o Observationalist – friend of liberty everywhere,
but guarantor only of our own.
o Isolationist – focused only on our safety and
security.
A
number of great ideas are the basis for the superiority of Western values:
·
Rationalism.
·
Self-criticism.
·
Disinterested
search for truth.
·
Separation
of church and state.
·
Rule
of law and equality under the law.
·
Freedom
of thought and expression.
·
Human
rights.
·
Liberal
democracy.
Provide
global leadership in domestic and foreign affairs.
- Isolationism is not a viable
alternative, since it just isolates
- Containment can be effective to
delay more aggressive actions until
- Champion the value of free market
capitalism in a democratic society.
James
A. Baker III has outlined ten maxims for pragmatic policymakers:
·
·
·
Be
prepared to act unilaterally when the situation requires it.
·
Appreciate
the importance of allies.
·
Use
all the means at our disposal to achieve our objectives.
·
When
a course of action is not producing results, be prepared to change direction if
necessary.
·
Recognize
and accept the
·
Be
prepared to talk with our enemies.
·
Be
mindful that values are important, but not he only thing that should guide our
policy.
·
Domestic
support is vital to any successful foreign policy.
Recommendations:
Develop
a coherent integrated foreign policy strategy that reflects American national
interests.
- Include all agency opinions
(State, Intelligence, Defense, UN, USAID).
o Terminate FSOs who put their
personal or political needs in front of their country needs.
o Establish doctrinal
principles to explain public diplomacy mission.
- Define
criteria for American policy interests.
- Define
criteria for American military intervention.
- Create planning, clearing, and
assessing processes across agency boundaries.
o Ensure diplomatic and military efforts
are coordinated and consistent.
- Revitalize
o Target desired audiences with
appropriate dialogue approaches and channels.
o Exploit the use of all international
broadcasting vehicles like VOA to educate listeners on freedom and democracy.
Cooperate
with other nations diplomatically, in our own interests.
- Ensure ambassadorships go to
career diplomatic appointees
- Defend America against Islamo-fascist threats.
- Protect our interests across the
globe.
References:
“’Peace’ Propaganda, Then and Now”
by Michael P. Tremoglie dated
“Making Peace: 100 Years of Leftist Failure”
by Spencer Warren dated
“World Policeman – If Not Us,
Who?” by David Stolinsky dated
“A Genealogy of Anti-Americanism”
by James Caesar dated
“History calls communists to account”
by Charles Bremmer dated
“Communism is Still Alive and Evil”
by Doug Hagin dated
“Voice of
“The End of the Bush Revolution” by
Philip Gordon dated
“The F Word” by Rich Lowry dated
“Anti-Americanisms” by Peter Katzenstein and Robert Keohane
dated
“Secretary Rice’s View of the World”
by Cal Thomas dated
“Hillary Clinton calls for
‘internationalist” foreign policy” dated
“Varieties of Anti-Americanism” by
Peter J. Katzenstein and Robert O. Keohane dated
“
“Let’s Talk About Isolationism”
by Jonah Goldberg dated
“Breaking the Hold of Hegemonist
Doctrine” by J. R. Dunn dated
“Yes,
“A Plan Forward for
“And Who Isolated Us” by Patrick J.
Buchanan dated
“Containment makes a comeback” by
Ian Shapiro dated
“Interventions Without
End?” By Patrick J. Buchanan dated
“Why We Fight Over Foreign Policy”
by Henry Nau dated
“
“Efforts to Deal with
“The Decline Begins” by James Kitfield dated
“How to Restore
“Enduring Alliances Empower
“To Be, or Not To
Be…. An Empire” by Gary J. Schmitt dated
“The Return of Authoritarian Great Powers”
by Azar Gat dated
“Grand Strategy for a Divided
“End of Dreams, Return of History”
by Robert Kagan dated
“A New Realism” by Bill Richardson
dated Summer 2007 published by Harvard International
Review at http://hir.harvard.edu/articles/1630/ .
“An Imperialist Vision for Survival”
by Erik Rush dated
“Toward a Realistic Peace” by
Rudolph Giuliani dated September/October 2007 published by Foreign Affairs at http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070901faessay86501/rudolph-giuliani/toward-a-realistic-peace.html .
“As Democracy Push Falters, Bush Feels Like a
‘Dissident’” by Peter Baker dated
“Three Centuries of Declinism”
by Alan Dowd dated
“The Big Ten: The Case for Pragmatic Idealism”
by James A. Baker III dated
“Failing Upward” by Walter Russell
Mead dated
“Let’s Get Rid of the State Department Refusenicks” by Chris Cannon dated
“On Setting an Example” by Peggy
Noonan dated
“Does
“Rebranding
“Downsizing our dominance” by Fred
Kaplan dated
“Why the West Is Best”
by Ibn Warraq dated
Winter 2008 published by City Journal at http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_1_snd-west.html .
“Economic Freedom Underpins Human Rights and
Democratic Governance” by Anthony B. Kim dated
“United States Security and the Strategic
Landscape” by Newt Gingrich dated
“Rethinking the National Interest”
by Condeleeza Rice dated
“Anti-Americanism Is Mostly Hype”
by Fouad Ajami dated
“Obama’s Man in London” by
Benjamin Sarlin dated February 20, 2009 published by
Daily Beast at http://www3.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-02-20/obamas-man-in-london/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsL5 .
