United States Foreign Policy

[mtangelsfan]

How did we get so bad at this.  

North Korea, Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia and China (I'm sure I am forgetting some) are all total failures.  

Anything we touch turns to crap.  Can't blame just Dems, can't blame just Reps, can't blame cons or libs, it is just an overall systematic failure.

Edited September 15, 2017 by mtangelsfan

[nate]

34 minutes ago, mtangelsfan said:

How did we get so bad at this.  

North Korea, Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia and China (I'm sure I am forgetting some) are all total failures.  

Anything we touch turns to crap.  Can't blame just Dems, can't blame just Reps, can't blame cons or libs, it is just an overall systematic failure.

I think the US lost a lot of its capital over the last 15-20 years as far as being a true world superpower and we also just spend shit loads on military so every president, joint chief, sec def, etc wants to use it instead of being diplomatic.

The US doesn't even impose real sanctions anymore because US business interests would be hurt.

Not to mention that our military is so spread out right now other countries know any threat is just a threat anyway.

[Lou]

THREAD FAIL 

 

[Lou]

And let us not forget, it was Urgent! 

 

 

 

and furious.

[Adam]

We?

[mtangelsfan]

Yes

[Blarg]

Here is a question. 

What is America's foreign policy?

I don't think we have a defined mission statement and are just playing a reactionary role on world affairs. The lack of a central and defined goal is pulling the legislature and diplomatic offices in too many directions, often in conflict with each other. 

[nate]

We aren't playing a reactionary role, we are playing a cherry picking role.

[arch stanton]

It doesn't do much good to think in terms of American foreign policy because nothing is really American anymore. It's all part of one partnership or coalition or the other. So everything is agenda driven (and not always driven by us) and not really based on any firm policy.

We know we have to protect the flow of oil since that is a proven economy killer.

We know we're going to protect certain dictatorships because they allow us to utilize their land for overseas bases.

We know our NATO and other defense treaty commitments will obligate us in certain regions.

On top of everything else we have to be wary of what Russia and China are doing since they both can potentially be a real threat to us.

This is why when a national politician speaks there should always be a donor list scrolling across the screen. It would help if we knew who was pulling his strings

[arch stanton]

In case you wondered what the State Department has published

 

The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States, including all the Bureaus and Offices in the United States Department of State, as mentioned in the Foreign Policy Agenda of the Department of State, are "to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community."In addition, the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs states as some of its jurisdictional goals: "export controls, including nonproliferation of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware; measures to foster commercial interaction with foreign nations and to safeguard American business abroad; international commodity agreements; international education; and protection of American citizens abroad and expatriation

[Blarg]

The list would out last the speech.

2 minutes ago, arch stanton said:

This is why when a national politician speaks there should always be a donor list scrolling across the screen. It would help if we knew who was pulling his strings

 

[floplag]

It has definitely changed and evolved, i think thats the problem.  One day we are propping up the Shah, next we want him out, the problem with us is that it changes every 4-8 years.

Its a double edged sword though and the funny part though is noone turns down the money so...  if you come to us with a hand out or you take the money a little gratitude also wouldnt suck.  

The Arab world is wealthy because of us and still wants to kill us, that too is a little hypocritical.  Not to mention weve educated most of them. 

Bottom line i think its a little one sided to suggest the failure is all our fault in almost any case.  

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 9/16/2017 at 6:30 AM, nate said:

We aren't playing a reactionary role, we are playing a cherry picking role.

We are maintaining an embargo against Cuba because of the communist regime in power. Our biggest trading partner is China.

[Rico]

The current US foreign policy is... "What can we do to enrich ourselves."

[Tank]

9 minutes ago, Rico said:

The current US foreign policy is... "What can we do to enrich ourselves."

i thought that was the current congressional policy.

[Thomas]

10 minutes ago, Rico said:

The current US foreign policy is... "What can we do to enrich ourselves."

This is not a repeat of everyone's foreign policy ever.

[nate]

44 minutes ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

We are maintaining an embargo against Cuba because of the communist regime in power. Our biggest trading partner is China.

Their acumen with math intimidates us.  If they were Muslims, or worse, gay Mexicans, Trump would blow them into pieces... on Twitter.

[Rico]

8 hours ago, Tank said:

i thought that was the current congressional policy.

Basically standing order.

[Lhalo]

Our foreign policy is directed by the military industrial complex. That's pretty much all there is to it.

[UndertheHalo]

12 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

We are maintaining an embargo against Cuba because of the communist regime in power. Our biggest trading partner is China.

also cool with Vietnams communism.  As far as trade goes.

[Mark68]

Our foreign policy is:

1. If you let us station troops in your country, you're cool.

2. If you let our businesses in your country, you're cool.

3. If you're ruled by a Castro, you're not cool. This trumps #2 above.

4. If you point a handful of missiles at us, you're not cool.

5. If you point several hundred missiles at us, you're cool sometimes and not cool other times...depending on the whims of whoever is in charge on our end.

6. If you support terrorism (and you're not us or fall under 1 & 2 above), you're not cool.

 

I think that sums it up.

[AngelsFaninGA]

33 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

also cool with Vietnams communism.  As far as trade goes.

Also cool with Pol Pot exterminating 40% of his own population

[Thomas]

Any country that has the audacity of seizing American owned businesses will forever be ostracized by the US government.  

[wopphil]

It's not America's fault, much of the rest of the world is simply incapable of self governing. The Middle East, Africa, and central America would be the same shitholes they are today regardless of historical U.S. involvement.

[Lhalo]

Which is why we shouldn't be involved.