Foreign Policy
Return to Common Sense
November 30, 2019
Section: Foreign
– Policy
“Republicans seek to
craft and nourish allies with common interests in foreign relationships, while Democrats seek alliances sacrificing American
interests in the process.”
“The purpose of foreign
policy is not to provide an outlet for our own sentiments of hope or
indignation; it is to shape real events in a real world.” John F. Kennedy
Philosophy
(Background, Issues, Objectives):
America is the lone remaining
superpower.
- Superpower
status includes political, economic, and military strength.
- The fall of the
Soviet Union in 1991 erased the only other superpower from the world
stage.
o
Communist States remain in power in China, North
Korea, and Cuba.
- Non-communist
economies began to fail under the weight of inefficiencies of socialism.
- There are two major foreign policy wings in
the Republican Party:
- Isolationism is the notion that the US
is better off withdrawing to fortress America and leaving the rest of the
world's nations to fight it out among themselves.
o
The
isolationist impulse in the US is what caused the US to enter both world wars
years after they began.
o
It
is what has propelled much of the anti-war sentiment on the far Left and the
far Right alike since Sept.11.
§
The
far Left argues the US should withdraw from world leadership because the US is
evil.
§
The
far Right argues that the US should withdraw from world leadership because the
world is evil.
- Neoconservatism involves the adoption of a muscular US foreign policy in
order to advance the cause of democracy and freedom worldwide.
o
The
Wilsonian view embraces the notion that if given a
chance to make their sentiments known, most people will choose liberal
democracy over any other form of government.
o
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.
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.
o
U.S. arms transfers to third parties are
regulated by the Arms Export Control
Act (AECA), which provides export licenses only in cases that
"will strengthen U.S. national security, promote
foreign policy goals, or foster world peace.
- Strive to build
and maintain strong bilateral and multilateral relationships.
o
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
receives guidance from Department of State.
- The
career foreign service was a project of the Wilsonian
Progressivism.
o
An
ideal U.S. ambassador is one who has diplomatic skill, understanding of the
host country, and policy depth while also being a confidant of the American
president.
o
About
half of the ambassadorial posts are reserved for career foreign-service
officers.
o
Career
foreign-service officers as ambassadors can be highly effective in promoting
American interests when interacting peer-to-peer with the career government
bureaucracies of their host governments.
o
The
permanent foreign service was created in a kind of
imitation of the British colonial bureaucracy, which they admired.
o
The
career foreign service has its own labor union.
o
Virtually
everything that is prescribed by law and custom concerning personnel and the
chain of authority in the rest of the government is turned upside down.
Modern Presidents have also increasingly empowered
and expanded the size of the National Security Council (NSC).
- The original NSC, established
in 1947, comprised only a handful of key advisers to the President. It
grew slowly at first.
- The size of the NSC spiked
in the late 1990s and stabilized at roughly 100 staff in the post-9/11
period.
- Currently, the NSC staff
is estimated to be over 400 people, more than twice the number at the end
of the Bush Administration.
- This growth has been a
direct result of the President relying more on the NSC to devise and
implement his foreign policy than on the Department of State.
Presidents have also felt the need at times to
appoint personal confidants or representatives to address pressing issues.
- When the President relies
too often or too heavily on individual “czars” or “envoys”
to address discrete issues, he risks undermining clarity and consistency of
policy, distorting the importance of issues in the overall spectrum of
U.S. foreign policy interests, and confusing both U.S. and foreign
officials about the chain of command through the multiple lines of
communication to the President.
American national
interests is the best rule of
thumb for determining which world problems we get involved in.
- America is not the world’s policemen, a role reserved for the
United Nations.
o
We do not have the resources to stop evil
everywhere on earth, fights that other regional nations should deal with.
- Humanitarian aid is not a national interest, but a
compassionate reason for assistance.
Anti-Americanism is not only opposition
to what the U.S. does, but extends to what the U.S. is.
- Anti-Americanism
has many sources:
·
Some countries have a legacy of hate, while others
envy and others are irrational.
·
U.S. stands for individualism, political freedom,
economic freedom, & religious freedom.
·
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: UK Telegraph and Guardian are
notoriously biased.
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
Qatar based media outlet for Arab propaganda stories.
o
Western Europe leftist media hates America, while
the people generally admire the U.S.
o
The further south in Latin America, the greater
anti-American bias is perpetuated.
o
Foreign press displays a leftist bias, reinforcing
Democrat ideas and politicians.
- Marxist
revisionism and hatred for America is alive and well on the Internet.
- 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:
American statecraft has been morally
and philosophically grounded in principles:
- Human liberty
- Independence
- Self-government
- Sense of justice
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 America from its global
partners.
- Containment can
be effective to delay more aggressive actions until America is ready.
- Champion the
value of free market capitalism in a democratic society.
Protect America’s ability to
act as necessary to protect its own interests.
- Government must
speak with a single voice to other countries (not a competition for
influence!)
- Use
globalization as a tool to further America’s objectives, without
surrendering to its dictates.
- Reward our
allies for their friendship; punish our enemies with our wallets.
- There are
essentially three approaches that the U.S. can take:
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.
James A. Baker III has outlined ten
maxims for pragmatic policymakers:
·
United States must be comfortable with using its
power.
·
United States power is limited.
·
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 U.S. will sometimes have
to deal with authoritarian regimes.
·
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.
Conservative Internationalism in
based on four key tenets:
- Spread freedom
in a way that is disciplined by threats and costs.
- Back diplomacy
by force.
- Back force by
diplomacy.
- Maintain public
support.
Recommendations:
Short
Term, Develop a coherent integrated foreign policy
strategy that reflects American national interests.
- Reinforce the professionalism of the Foreign Service.
o
Ensure all candidates for an ambassadorial
appointment are qualified.
o
Appoint excellent career foreign-service officers
to ambassadorships.
o
Increase foreign service
assignments from three to five years.
o
De-certify the foreign-service public-sector
employee union.
o
Cooperate with other nations diplomatically, in our
own interests.
- Include all agency opinions (State, Intelligence, Defense, UN, USAID).
o
Establish doctrinal principles to
explain public diplomacy mission.
§
Create planning, clearing, and assessing processes
across agency boundaries.
- Define criteria
for American policy interests.
- Define criteria
for American humanitarian interventions, including “Responsibility to Protect.”
- Define criteria
for American police action interventions.
- Define criteria
for American military interventions.
o
Ensure diplomatic and military efforts are
coordinated and consistent.
o
Terminate FSOs who put their personal or political
needs in front of their country needs.
- Reduce the operational role of the NSC and place those
responsibilities chiefly on Under and Assistant
Secretaries of State.
o
Return the Policy Planning Staff to its original
purpose, or eliminate it.
o
Curtail the use of special envoys and special
representatives (“czars”).
- Revitalize U.S. international broadcasting leadership, starting with
Voice of America.
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.
Long
Term, State Department assume
ownership of the nation building and reconstruction mission.
Integrate Stability Operations Force post-conflict/post-disaster
stabilization and nation building and reconstruction missions.
- Staff an
experienced and capable contracting office at all deployed locations,
reporting into the State Department.
- Staff Stability Operations Force positions with experienced
civilian subject matter experts.
o
Recruit Foreign Service experienced professionals
for senior leadership positions.
o
Recruit people with language and technical skills
to stand by in reserve.
o
Recruit expertise in engineering, medicine, and
policing available for deployment.
o
Augment non-security resources with experienced
civilian contractors.
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.
