Hatrack River Forum: Political Thought to Consider

This is topic Political Thought to Consider in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :

The United States has no Foreign Policy.

We have domestic policy taking place outside the country.
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Is this true for all administrations?
Should it be?

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Especially for all of you non-US Hatrackers, think about this next time the US makes a statement about our noble intents, or when any one else complains that we are not fair or noble.

President Bush comes from a conservative/isolationist history. He complained that President Clinton spent too much time and energy with things like Isreal/Palestine Peace, Kyoto Accords, and International Courts that played well internationally, but did not help the US or its citizens.

Is our present foreign policy more Isolationism but at a distance?

France has no votes in the US, so why should the US Government care what the people in France feel? Why should we support International Treaties that do not favor US interests?

Right and Wrong are important, but getting reelected is important too.

Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :

quote:
The United States has no Foreign Policy.

We have domestic policy taking place outside the country.

Could you at least present this as opinion as opposed to assuming everyone feels that way. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :

I'm sorry, I thought the title of the thread implied that the following was an opinion to be debated.

Besides, I realized I didn't quite have my phrasing quite right.

Take 2:

Is it true that:

There is no such thing as Foriegn Policy.

There is only domestic politics played outside ones national borders.

Posted by Fishtail (Member # 3900) on :

Well, I've argued before that every nation acts, the majority of the time, in its own interests, and that it would eventually cease to exist as a nation if this were not the case.

Whether every decision concerning situations abroad is made with the ulterior motive of scratching up enough votes to get re-elected, I have enough of a bad opinion of all politicians to cynically agree that this is at least partially true. I'd like to believe that most politicians might be doing things for the greater global good, but I honestly don't think this is so. For the greater national good, perhaps, in order to gain power, influence and affluence, but very little for the greater world good. And that last applies to all nations, not just the U.S.

Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :

quote:
France has no votes in the US, so why should the US Government care what the people in France feel?

Because we have no votes in France, but nevertheless are strongly impacted by certain things the French do.