Literature Review of US Foreign Policy

Literature Review of US Foreign Policy Background America’s 1930s foreign policy was based on the realist school of thought. It emphasised international trade in order to achieve economic rejuvenation, whilst its security strategy demonstrated the practical restraints of Hans Morgenthau’s classical doctrine of realism through withdrawing its military’s international presence. Post-WW2 America’s role within the world hierarchy altered significantly as a direct result of internal structural and technological developments that led it to being a world superpower. American foreign policy encompassed both realism and liberal internationalism in its attempt to defeat communism. The 1970s signified a dramatic change in the foreign policy decision-making process; no longer were Presidents able to operate imperialistically making policy decisions without consulting Congress. Despite being internationally recognised as the victor of the Cold War, America lost its international footing somewhat. Political analyst Kenneth Waltz supports this assertion and argues in the article ‘Is Anybody Still a Realist?’ that foreign policy in a pre-9/11though post-Cold War era, aside from the widely accepted notion that States â€Å"at a minimum, seek their own preservation,† (Waltz, Kenneth. 1999: P.14), realism no longer played a leading role in foreign policy and national security decision-making. Roger Burbach and Jim Tarbell argue that US foreign policy and National Security Strategy since 9/11 has mirrored that of former powers on a colonisation mission. A key example used to demonstrate this was Bush’s desire to install a National Missile Defence (NMD) system in Europe. They ascertain that it was part of the regimes neoconservative, imperialistic agenda to impress upon the world American exceptionalism through attempting to colonise the globe by having a military capability world-wide under the notion of ‘national security.’ (Burbach, Roger Tarbell, Jim. 2004). The US government opposes such a claim maintaining that its actions are part of an assertive-realist security strategy seen previously within the Cold War era which confronts threats to America. They argue that like America’s proactive response to the attack on Pearl Harbour, the last time America had suffered such devastation on US soil, that 9/11 warranted a similarly aggressive response. Benjamin Frankel supports this and argues in ‘Realism: Restatements and Renewal,’ that it is neo-realism, not neo-conservatism which recognises â€Å"the ultimate concern of states is not for power but for security†¦states seek maximum security not maximum power.† (Waltz, Kenneth. 1988. in Frankel, Benjamin.1996: P.91). President Roosevelt’s description of the attack on Pearl Harbour as a â€Å"date which will live in infamy,† (Roosevelt, Franklin D.A Date which will live in infamy: FDR ask for a Declaration of War), have been echoed since 9/11. Bush proclaimed the â€Å"world has changed† (Cramer,Jane K. Thrall, A. Trevor. 2012: P.30) as a direct result of 9/11 and therefore had to adapt his leadership style and policies accordingly. Literature Review This dissertation has used many sources to gain valuable information such as facts, figures, diagrams and the opinion and analysis of distinguished politicians, historians and authors. US foreign policy is a broad and complex subject which can be approached from multiple angles. Due to the restrictive word limit, this thesis has confined itself within certain boundaries which specify what direction this thesis is going to approach the title. Through critically analysing these sources, it has been possible to develop a deeper understanding of the topics examined and have helped greatly in contextualising the arguments found within the background and contemporary research. This has played a crucial role in the final conclusion reached. These boundaries are that the time scale used will be between the 1930s to the end of the George W Bush presidency. This time frame has been selected because of the opposing military policies that were used and the economic, social and international implications that such directions were to have; one being isolationist and the other being expansive. Chapters two and three have also been divided in a two-part manner. Chapter two addresses the mentality behind the decision-making process as well as the actions taken in the years preceding Bush’s presidency. Chapter three examines the mentality and actions taken during Bush’s reign. These boundaries have been drawn up in such a wa y that allows for analysis of events in a chronological order. Additionally, the ‘mentality’ has been chosen because it allows for the thesis to address multiple arguments and through thorough analysis determine if the mentality behind the decision-process has been altered and if so, has this affected the actions taken. These boundaries provide a clear sense of structure which is augmented with the aid of the many sources examined. There are a select few sources which will now be addressed due to their crucial role in initiating key arguments and theories throughout the thesis. In his article ‘The Stability of a Unipolar World,’ William Wohlforth provides an important analysis regarding the impact of the structural and technological advancements experienced in the US. Wohlforth argues that it is’ because of â€Å"a decades-old policy of harnessing technology to the generation of military power†¦The US combination of quantitative and qualitative material advantages is unprecedented, and it translates into a unique geopolitical position.† (Wohlforth, William C. 1999: P.17-18). This thesis supports this assertion and uses it as a key argument throughout to provide explanation behind America’s actions and the mentality with which such actions were conducted with. This dissertation comprises a variety of theoretical debates, all attempting to provide clarity and reasoning behind America’s actions both pre and post 9/11. Richard Rose’s ‘The Postmodern President: The White House Meets the World’ is used to provide support and elaborate on this thesis’ suggestion that after 1991 the â€Å"United States has lost its former position of dominance in the international system.† (Rose, Richard.1988:P.237). This was primarily because it could no longer justify having an expansive foreign and security policy to develop its sphere of influence through either hard or soft means as there was no longer an apparent enemy. Craig Snyder provides support for this assertion and further adds a theoretical argument in his book ‘Contemporary Security and Strategy’ that the influence of realism endured a significant decline during this period of relative peace in its use in international relations as well as national foreign policies. (Snyder, Craig A. 1999: P.65). No thesis which incorporates political theories and realism in particular, would be academically justifiable without the thoughts of world-wide acclaimed political analysts Kenneth Waltz and Hans Morgenthau being examined. Morgenthau’s work has been used when analysing the traits of classical realism to see how, if at all they relate to Bush’s actions. This thesis has paid particular attention to the work of Waltz, the founder of the concept of neo-realism, to argue that as opposed to the realist based expansive foreign policy agenda that existed during the Cold War era, States have since pursued neo-realist policies in which they aim to achieve: a sense of continuity in long-term goals, policies which are compatible with the ever-globalising international arena, clear objectives with simple directions to achieve them whilst maintaining a certain degree of flexibility to allow for adaptation to the fluid nature of the international stage. (Waltz, Kenneth.1999). Post-9/11, US foreign policy has often been interpreted as some of the most controversial around the globe. This is because they have been perceived as part of America’s apparent neoconservative agenda devoted to establishing an Imperial America. Roger Burbach and Jim Tarbell are two academics who support such a notion and argue in their ‘Imperial Overstretch: George W Bush the Hubris of Empire’ that the impact of 9/11 provided Bush’s regime with the fuel to pursue his extreme neo-conservative goal of creating a US Empire. The critical and negative wording of the title is such that even without reading any of the actual book, Bush is already portrayed as a leader who has been corrupted by the desire to create an empire. Therefore, in order to maintain academic legitimacy, this thesis recognised that Burbach and Tarbell are obviously biased against the Bush administration. This is not to say that their work should be dismissed, because it shouldn’t, but rather caution should be – and has been – applied when selecting what information to use from their book in this dissertation. Particular attention has been given to George C. Herring’s ‘From Colony to Superpower: US Foreign Relations since 1776.’ This is because this book provides a great insight into US foreign policy history and does so whilst exhibiting thorough analysis of events throughout this time. It has helped this writer significantly in developing a deeper understanding of events that have occurred and placing them in the relevant context. Articles, quotes, resolutions and speeches by Bush’s administration and even himself are all examined in this thesis. This is because they provide raw clarity and reasoning behind the decisions made post 9/11.As president of the world super-power, the American people looked to Bush to act and respond to this terrorist assault. In an address to the nation on 9/11th he stated that America â€Å"will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbour them.† (Bush, George W. quoted in Kean, Thomas H. 2004. P.326. The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.). Such a statement sets the rigid and uncompromising tone with which Bush was to significantly adjust his foreign and security policies to deal with the situation. Understanding the mentality behind Bush’s decisions is of vital importance to this thesis because if the mentality is proven to have affected the manner in which foreign policy was decided a nd implemented, and if this is different to the various American administrations, then this will playing a determining role in answering the dissertation question. It is for this reason that Bush and his teams’ speeches, articles and resolutions are analysed in great depth throughout this thesis.

Taliban/Osama Movie

J. Galloway, T. Lockett, M. Franklin Dr. Newson-Horst Humanities 301 March 7, 2013 Taliban/Osama The Taliban are a large Sunni Islamist group of men who rule in Afghanistan. The Taliban presence in Afghanistan was densest in 1996 on through 2001. The Taliban presence/force declined in 2001 with the invasion of the U. S. military in The Middle East after the September 11 attacks. The Taliban began as a distinct group who fought alongside other mujahedeen groups during the Cold War against the Soviet Union.In the early to late 1980's the Cold War allowed the Taliban to rise to power. The Taliban group was set apart from other mujahedeen groups because of their focus on the learning and teaching of the Islamic faith alongside actual fighting. The film Osama written by Siddiq Barmak, provides an accurate depiction of the Taliban in Afghanistan by its in depth portrayal of the Taliban’s religious values, control, and acts of violence. The religious values of the Taliban are what fo rm them as a group.Anyone who wished to fight on the Taliban front would have to comply with their strict routine of prayer and study which filled their lives when they were not fighting. In the film viewers may perhaps gain this interpretation as they watched the young boys hauled off to a Taliban ran school where they prayed and studied the Qur’an in several scenes. The Taliban follow the Islamic faith very strictly sticking to traditional views and values especially towards women. The women under Taliban control cannot work, wear what they please, or come and go as they please.The religious values learned and taught by the Taliban takes a huge toll on the everyday lives of the people who are succumbed to that way of life. The Taliban has a substantial amount of control in Afghanistan with fifty-four percent of the control being permanent. Taliban ruled areas are doomed with laws and constant terror. The women are harassed and forced to wear burkas at all times. In the film a member of the Taliban warns a husband to make his wife cover her feet in fear of other men being aroused by her feet.The Taliban in Afghanistan gain finances through drug trafficking, kidnapping, and foreign donations. Private citizens from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, and some Persian Gulf nations are the largest contributors to the donations of the Taliban group in Afghanistan. The group was trademarked by controlling women to wear burkas, banning television, and jailing men whose beards were deemed too short. These controlling antics are depicted throughout the film. The violent nature of the Taliban is heavily present in the film Osama.In one scene women were protesting for the right to work to provide for their families. The Taliban blasted these women and their children with water and sprayed bullets into the crowd. Several protesting women were jailed for their participation. The Taliban also participates in kidnapping as a means of financial gain. They commit high profil e kidnappings for ransom to fund their terror. Finally, the Taliban has its own judicial system where many people have their lives taking away for random acts of resistance against Taliban law.In the film one can see an American reporter sentenced to death for recording the Taliban. The Taliban conduct live stoning to death with its members and crowd. In conclusion, the Taliban's large presence in Afghanistan has been in place for a very long time. The lifestyle of Middle Eastern women, men, and children are shaped around the ruling of the Taliban. The Taliban parade the streets and cause terror in the lives of its people. The film Osama aided with the understanding of the Taliban rule.Viewers gain a first-hand interpretation of the hardships faced under Taliban rule and how tough it is to uphold as a family. Citations Ansari, Fahad. â€Å"Understanding the Taliban Movement. † Harakah Daily/en H 1434 (2013): n. pag. 06 Mar. 2013. Web. Bajoria, Jayshree. â€Å"Council on Fore ign Relations. † Backgrounder (n. d. ): n. pag. Council on Foreign Relations. 06 Oct. 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. Fremson, Ruth. Taliban (n. d. ): n. pag. Nytimes. com. The New York Times, 10 Oct. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. .

Ethics Log Essay

I was out shopping with a friend and saw something that struck me as very unethical. We were eating at the mall and the manager at one of the fast food places at the food court was given extra money then was due by a customer that was directly ahead of my friend in line. Instead of giving the lady back the extra money he pocketed the money. I know that we are in a financially hard time, but still the man should have told the women that she gave him too much money instead of pocketing the difference. It made me promptly decide to eat at a different place that day. September 15, 2008: I was struck today by something that made me have faith in other people. A man was rushing to leave a store and his wallet dropped out of his pocket. Two teenagers were standing around and watching the people going in and out and they both saw what happened. One of them walked over and picked up the wallet. I thought that the kid was going to pocket the money in the wallet, but instead he walked over to where the man was still putting groceries into his car. He handed the man his wallet and told him that he saw it fall out of his pocket. The man thanked him and offered him a reward. The kid shook his head and said a reward wasn’t necessary. Most of the time teenagers are given a bad name, but seeing that kid be as honest as he was made me feel good knowing that our future are the hands of kids like that. September 22, 2008: I was taking my mother to the doctor and I saw something that seemed to me to be very unethical. Two nurses were waiting for the elevator and they were discussing patients, using the first names of those patients. No one else was around the elevator, so these two women must have thought they were alone. I couldn’t believe my ears, because they were talking in very load tones and telling each other about the details of each patient. I know that doctors are held to strict ethical standards and I thought nurses were too. Anyone could have been listening to these two women gossiping. They finally stopped when I cleared my throat and gave them a look. September 29, 2008: I was watching the evening news and one story struck me as interesting. It was a story about a building contractor who had used substandard materials on some houses that he had built. The people who had bought these homes found mold and parts of their houses were falling down so that living in these homes were dangerous to the occupants. I have always believed that building contractors had an ethical right to use materials that would ensure a safe environment for the people that buy the finished homes. It seems this man cared more for the end dollar that he received then for the quality of building he produced. October 6, 2008: I was watching the news the other night and I saw a story about a psychologist that was being accused of having a relationship with a patient. I was appalled at this fact since psychologists are people who should realize how unethical something like that is. Doctors are in a position of authority over their patients and as such should not abuse hat authority by becoming involved with their patients. The psychologist is facing criminal charges and will probably have his license to practice psychology revoked. I was shocked and outraged by this story and it made me wonder what had to be going through the man’s head to get into such a situation as this where he ahs put his professional life and the reputation of his family in jeopardy. October 14, 2008: I was shopping this weekend and I saw something that struck me not only as ethical but as an example of the goodness in people. I was walking down the street from store to the next and in an alleyway there was a man who for all intents and purposes was homeless or he appears that way. As I was walking I had to stop and answer my cell phone and in vainly trying to find my phone everything in my bag fell out and spilled all over the sidewalk. This man, who was dirty from his head to his feet, came over and started helping me pick things up. I was in such a rush that I didn’t notice that my credit card had bounced in the shadows. I gave the man a curt thank you and was walking away when I heard the man come up behind me. I thought at first he was going to try and do something to me (we all don’t like to admit it but stereotypes sometimes linger in the back of the man about homeless people), and turned ready to hit the man when he smiled toothlessly at me and told me I had dropped my credit card. This man could have pocketed the card, but he chose to do the ethical and right thing of returning the card to me. October 20, 2008: An article that I read recently stuck me as very unethical practices. It was an article on how Treasury Secretary Paulson was utilizing his old Wall Street firm as a way to investigate the goings on of other Wall Street firms. The problem then is that it gives other people the idea that now Paulson’s old firm has their hands in the proverbial Treasury Cookie Jar. That kind of practice is not just unethical but wrong. The United States Treasury is something that has to investigate firms and by allowing a Wall Street firm to be seen as having ties in the department of Treasury gives the idea that the department of the Treasury is biased and will allow this firm to get by with everything and there will not be any repercussions. October 27, 2008: I was reading an article in the newspaper and came across a story about a court case in which the case had to be dismissed because the evidence that was collected was tainted. Apparently when he evidence was collected, it was misplaced and then found two days later. This struck me as highly unethical, since from my understanding when something like that happens it’s hard to know if it is really from the crime or if it had been planted. It also struck me as unethical because evidence should not be contaminated or last in order to make sure questions are not raised in the long run. November 3, 2008: I read in the newspaper about a new school curriculum that has been used at some schools around the nation. Building Decision Skills (BDS) that had â€Å"potentially positive effects† on students. This curriculum targets character education, strengthens critical thinking skills, builds leadership skills, and focuses on teaching students the best way to make ethical decisions as they enter the high school setting and are affected more by peer pressure. I remember my own high school days and how tough it can be when surrounded by friends that want you to make a decision that you don’t feel comfortable with. Ethical behavior after all is learning the right way to do something or the right choice to make when in a given situation. This new curriculum will help students with those kinds of situations. November 10, 2008: The newspaper had an interesting story about the Emperor’s Club and the case against the New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer and his charges for hiring prostitutes. Tania Hollander, the VIP scheduler for the club, also had to take responsibility in the unethical behavior of the attorney general. Ms. Hollander will face jail time for her part in this case, while the New York attorney general was cleared of the charges against him. The attorney for Ms. Hollander made a point of insinuating that this kind of nonsense was unethical in the least because it gives the public the idea that the New York attorney general is being given a slap on the wrist because of his position as an attorney general. Abuse of position such as this is always an unfair and unethical practice.

Starting a Football Team Essay - 1749 Words

Starting a Football Team So you and your friends think youre ready to tackle being part of a League. Good ... but be careful. Its not as easy as it sounds and you must be aware of all the pitfalls before you take the leap. Organisation An essential must before you do anything else. You need at least two or three people to take some responsibility. Being part of any League carries a heavy burden for one newcomer. From these people, elect a secretary, a treasurer (oh yes, it all costs money) and a manager. Of course one person can do several roles, but its a lot for a newbie to take on alone. Unless youre a strong individual, your club wont last long.†¦show more content†¦For example, the Essex Sunday Corinthian League insist that all clubs are registered with Essex County Football Association. Some are also registered with London Football Association (this gives them access to more cup competitions). --------------------------------------------------------------------- Where do I Register? You need to find out the headquarters for your local football association. One way to find out is to ask a team on a local pitch. But pick your moment carefully - if things arent going well on the pitch you may be politely asked to go elsewhere! You can contact the Football Association at Soho and they should point you in the right direction. If youre in Essex, youre in luck. --------------------------------------------------------------------- You Need the Dosh OK now lets talk money. This is where some of you can be put off. I wont mince my words - its bloody expensive to get a new team off the ground. Firstly, registering with your local county FA has set you back  £20- £30. And thats just for starters, but at least youve got a name and a structure. Now you need to apply to a League. 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