In Search of Policy Lessons from the Past

In: Mediterranean quarterly: a journal of global issues, Band 14, Heft 1, S. 32-41

Abstract

US foreign & domestic security policies in the post-WWII period are reviewed, arguing that their consequences, both pleasant & unpleasant, have been largely unanticipated &, at times, costly, particularly those dealing with the Third World. Specific instances of policy failures in less- & underdeveloped countries are cited, arguing that they were often based on oversimplistic assumptions or superficial analyses. Future policy making with respect to US involvement in this area must be more firmly grounded in the surety that national interests are at stake & that specific objectives can be accomplished. Situations where this has not been the case have resulted in the US being tragically overinvolved (Vietnam) or insufficiently devoting necessary resources (eg, economies vulnerable to collapse). It is argued that the current George Bush administration's foreign policy serves primarily rhetorical goals; new terrorism policies are cited as examples. In terms of foreign policy & international politics, there are too many uncertainties & complexities to rush ahead blindly without adequate critical review & skeptical analysis. K. Hyatt Stewart