I am disturbed by the hawkish trend that has been dominating U.S. foreign policy since the tragedy of 9/11. It reminds me of former U.S. President Eisenhower’s concern which he so eloquently expressed, “God help this country when someone sits in this chair who doesn’t know the military as well as I do.” (Goodman). Even General Colin Powell cautioned his colleagues in the Bush Administration to not rush into war with Iraq by claiming, “if you break it, you own it” (Samuels).
One of the major factors behind mostly ineffective U.S. foreign policy is that those who have shaped it over the last decade were most unqualified to do so. They didn’t only have unrealistic understanding of the costs and benefits of military conflicts but also poor understanding of other cultures which is especially evident in the fact that Bush Administration predicted to be treated as liberators in Iraq. The world has changed and even the nature of the enemy has changed but some policymakers continue to hold outdated worldviews. Moreover, countries are held to higher levels of accountability now which also limits the effectiveness of use of power. U.S. own experiences demonstrate that military engagement may result in short-term gains but eventually they are exceeded by costs.
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U.S. Presidents should be willing to cross the party lines to nominate the most qualified person for cabinet posts. In addition, U.S. should work closely with its allies to shape its foreign policy because the challenges are too great to be handled by even the richest and most powerful nation on earth.
- Goodman, Melvin A. Ike’s warning resonates. 17 January 2011. 22 September 2014
- Samuels, David. A Conversation With Colin Powell. 18 April 2007. 23 September 2014
