Transcript 21st-Century-foreign

Warm-up:
• What is foreign policy?
• a policy pursued by a nation in its dealings with
other nations, designed to achieve national
objectives
• US Foreign Policy goals-- "to build and sustain a
more democratic, secure, and prosperous world
for the benefit of the American people and the
international community."
21st-Century United States
Foreign Policy
Factors that shaped Foreign Policy
• Economics
– Multi-national corporations
– Economic power elite
– Military industrial complex
• Ideology
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Vision of national greatness—America’s mission
Racial hierarchy
Extremely anti-revolutionary
Unilateralism—acting alone and independent
• Domestic politics
– Most Americans are ill-informed
– Nation of immigrants
– Can’t appear weak
• Rise of Imperial President
– Bypass checks & balances
– Violates foundation of American government
• Resource wars
– oil
Policy up to 2000
• Isolationism was practice throughout 19th and 20th
century except during:
– War with Spain 1898
– World War I
– World War II
• After WWII, the Cold War began and US foreign
policy was containment: containing communism
and not letting it spread
• At the end of the Cold War (1991), US foreign
policy was all about nation building—until Sept.
11, 2001
U.S. Military Intervention in the 1990s
• Many Americans favored
economic support for foreign
countries.
• Just as many feared lending
military support to embattled
nations.
• But Clinton felt several
conflicts demanded U.S
intervention.
1992 Somalia-US
troops to stop civil war
but failed to stop it
1994 Haiti-US troops to
stop civil turmoil
1995 Bosnia-US
troops to stop ethnic
cleansing of Muslims
& Croats
Conflict in the Middle East increased in the 1990s.
Fighting between the
Israelis and Palestinians
became more violent
In 2000, Clinton brought
Palestinian leader Yasir
Arafat and Israeli leader
Ehud Barak to Camp David
to broker a peace agreement
between them.
It was not successful.
The U.S. itself became a target of Middle Eastern extremists.
A terrorist group called al Qaeda exploded a bomb in
the World Trade Center in New York City in 1993.
The group also set off bombs killing more 225 people
at American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
In 2000, they attacked the USS Cole, a warship
anchored off Yemen, killing 17 American sailors.
American leaders learned that fighting
terrorism would be extremely difficult.
America’s Foreign Policy 2001
• 2001—George Bush Administration
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September 11, 2001
Preventative war
“Changing” international order
More intimidation than of credibility
• In the United States “national interests”
– Democracy
– Economics/Trade
– Big business profit---outsourcing
• 2010-advancing American interests
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Security of American people
Growing U.S. economy
Support for our values
An international order that can address 21st-Century challenges
Activity:
• Foreign policy reading handout
America’s Foreign Policy
• In the United States “national interests”
– Democracy
– Economics/Trade
– Big business profit---outsourcing
• 2010-advancing American interests
– Security of American people
– Growing U.S. economy
– Support for our values
– An international order that can address 21stCentury challenges
America & The World
• Turn of 21st-Century view was interventionist
• UN-United Nations
– International organization but steered by US
• WTO-World Trade Organization
– Free-trade agreements
• IMF-International Monetary Fund
– Controls international credit and exchange rates
• World Bank
– Makes money available for development projects in
many countries…it’s in America’s interest to support
because many US exports go to countries that pay for
goods with World Bank funds
America & Global Trade
• Republicans usually support big business & free trade
• Democrats usually support labor and oppose loss of
American jobs
• Clinton (centrist) supported free trade blocs, which
would increase the economic prosperity of particular
regions
• Clinton signed 270 free trade agreements
• 1992---NAFTA---Canada, US, Mexico gradual removal
of trade restrictions…final 2008
• GATT—WTO
• Nations exposed in free trade have become more
democratic & engaging in free trade can strengthen
economic ties
US Opposition to Globalization
• Labor unions
– Export of jobs
• Other groups
– Humanitarian—working conditions
– New class of “slave laborers”
• Environmentalists
– Exporting industrial pollution & toxic waste
Other Nation’s Opposition
• Resented way world economy left them in
poverty—exploited & oppressed
• Grievances concerning religion & culture
– Stay away from Western ideas and ideals
• U.S. constant intervention in Middle East since
1970s until today which is why bin Laden
formed al Qaeda—to get US out of Middle East
Activity:
• Defining Moment
• Superpower
• War on terrorism
– WMDs---there were none
– al Qaeda & Hussein—truthfully they were
enemies
– Manipulation of evidence & misleading public
– Invasion of Iraq—undermined economy & social
welfare system
– Iraq has 10% of world oil reserves
Policy up to 2000
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Isolationism to War with Spain 1898
Isolationism & Imperialism to WWI—Lusitania
Isolationist to WWII—Pearl Harbor 1941
Containment to End of Cold War
With the Cold War over in 1992, the U.S. had to
redefine its role in the world.
• Nation-building to September 11, 2001
– Upholding international order
– Nipping aggression in the bud—respond to aggression
– America’s “credibility” as a superpower
• Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda directly
responsible for the 9-11 attack on World Trade
Center towers in New York
• Taliban government supported al Qaeda & bin
Laden in Afghanistan
• US overthrew Taliban and freed Afghanistan
• Bin Laden escapes in mountains and US pursues
him and his al Qaeda forces in the region