American Foreign Policy

[onthebottom]

There have been a number of threads that begin with or degenerate into a discussion on American Foreign Policy. I'm just curious what the audience thinks.

Under the spirit of full disclosure, I'm a Yank, registered Republican and voted for: Carter, Reagan, Bush, Perot, Dole, and Bush in Presidential Elections.

OTB

 

[TravellingGuy]

Poor choices

I think you'd have to expand that poll. I wouldn't go as far as saying Imperialistic Pigs, but I also wouldnt say Go Yanks. I do not agree with all of their Foreign Policies, but that doesnt mean I don't agree with some of them. So since I can't go to the complete 'Go' side, I had to go to the complete 'Pigs' side.

 

[onthebottom]

Fare Comment

TG,

Fare comment, I did that intentionally wanting to push those on the fence one way or another with propaganda language.

OTB

 

[Big Daddy]

I think it is meant to fool general population

I think sometimes American policy fools the general population. About a year back, the objective was war on terror and capture Osama. Today, Afganistan is not any better than what it was in December of 2001. However, when general population forgets about Afganistan the American policy changes its focus to Iraq.

It is a policy that never gets the job done. It attempts to find a temporary solution to the imminent problems and leads to long term unseen problems.

The problems in Palastine continue. The problems in Afganistan are not solved (only subdued). The problem with Iraq was not solved for at least last 11 years.

The problems remain unsolved and billions of dollars and gallons of blood are lost in between.

Perhaps it is not American policy, but it is lack of persistence and patience to solve the problems that is lacking. Or perhaps it is Capitalistic approach to solving Socialistic problems. Whatever it might be, it does not seem to work.

 

[xarir]

Re: I think it is meant to fool general population

Perhaps it is not American policy, but it is lack of persistence and patience to solve the problems that is lacking. Or perhaps it is Capitalistic approach to solving Socialistic problems. Whatever it might be, it does not seem to work.

I'll agree with that. Arguably the last time American foreign policy really worked was Germany after WWII. From the ashes of a facist regime Germany has prospered these past few decades. It didn't hurt of course that the Americans kept pouring resources into a democratic Germany after those nasty Russians built a wall straight through Berlin.

Another issue with American foreign policy is that it keeps changing. There's nothing wrong with evolving policy or simply changing with the times. But Iraq used to be America's friend when things went Anti-American in Iran. Now Saddam is Public Enemy Number 1 (or at least #2 after Osama).

So how can you really tell if you're in with the Americans or out? Part of democracy is changing governments, but there still needs to be some consistency in foreign policy. America just doesn't seem to have that.