Politics and America’s Role in the World
As international affairs and national security issues gain prominence in the 2012 campaign, we are reminded once again of the historic shift that has occurred this election year. National security, once a political loser for progressives, has become a political strength. This is due to a successful, results-oriented, approach to national security that aligns with the hopes of a public that is pragmatic and anxious but far from isolationist. A “civil war” among conservatives, and lack of experience among conservative leaders, has prevented a coherent vision from emerging – and left Americans without a real debate on the issues.
Progressives are the dominant foreign policy force in American politics. Earlier this month, following the national conventions, Slate national security columnist Fred Kaplan explained the speeches and platforms “have cemented the fact that the Democratic party is now the party of national-security policy; not just a wise or thoughtful foreign and military policy, but any kind of thinking whatsoever about matters beyond the water’s edge.” Martin Indyk, Kenneth Lieberthal, and Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution outline the accomplishments of a pragmatic, results-oriented approach: “[Obama] has racked up some notable successes, including significantly weakening al Qaeda, effectively managing relations with China, rebuilding the United States’ international reputation, resetting the relationship with Russia and ratifying the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), achieving a UN Security Council resolution imposing harsh sanctions on Iran, completing overdue but welcome free-trade accords, and withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.” The authors add, “The Obama approach has been relatively nonideological in practice but informed by a realistic overarching sense of the United States’ role in the world in the twenty-first century.” [Fred Kaplan, 9/7/12. Martin Indyk, Kenneth Lieberthal, and Michael O'Hanlon, May/June 2012]
Conservative movement still debating its worldview, as missteps and blunders continue. As Nicholas Kristof observes, “The Republican Party is caught in a civil war on foreign policy, and Romney refuses to pick sides. In contrast to his approach on the economy, he just doesn’t seem to have thought much about global issues.” What Romney has said about foreign policy has been challenged repeatedly by experts. As the Washington Post editorial board explains, “he should be presenting a broad, positive vision of how and where he would lead the United States in the world. If he thinks Mr. Obama is betting on and therefore accelerating the decline of U.S. leadership, don’t just call him nasty names (‘Jimmy Carter,’ for example), but explain to the American people why U.S. leadership is sustainable and necessary in the coming decades. Instead, there have been too many cheap shots and miscues that have only called attention to Mr. Romney’s inexperience in foreign affairs.” Days earlier, the Washington Post also described Romney’s foreign policy missteps as a “discredit to his campaign.”
Julian Zelizer, an expert on the politics of national security at Princeton University, adds, “Mitt Romney has not helped his cause, since he made widely publicized mistakes during his trip abroad, such as insulting the British about how they were handling the Olympics and making controversial remarks asserting the cultural superiority of the Israelis over Palestinians. Then during his acceptance speech in Tampa, Romney failed to praise the work of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.” [Nicholas Kristof, 9/15/12. Washington Post, 9/14/12. Washington Post, 9/12/12. Julian E. Zelizer, 9/18/12
The public supports progressive, pragmatic approaches on both substance and leadership. A recent public opinion study by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that the American public is firmly in line with a progressive vision of America’s role in the world. On Pentagon spending and going it alone, “Americans are now less likely to support the use of force in many circumstances and are more likely to endorse spending cutbacks, including on defense. As always, if force is necessary, there is a preference for multilateral rather than unilateral approaches.” While conservatives often have a knee-jerk reaction to military force to solve all problems, “Americans are broadly supportive of nonmilitary forms of international engagement and problem solving, ranging from diplomacy, alliances, and international treaties to economic aid and decision making through the UN.”
The public’s support for progressive national security solutions is also found in recent political polling. A collection of public polling data by Third Way concludes that, “Polls continue to demonstrate strong support for President Obama across a wide range of national security issues.” Specific findings include, “President Obama bests Mitt Romney on who is trusted to do a better job handling international affairs by roughly 20 points” and “By a 2:1 margin, Americans believe the President’s handling of terrorism is a major reason to support his reelection.” [Chicago Council, 9/12/12. Third Way, 6/12].
What We’re Reading
A court in Vietnam sentenced three bloggers to prison terms ranging from 4 to 12 years for writing about human rights abuses, corruption and foreign policy.
Wang Lijun, the ex-police chief at the heart of the scandal that felled top Chinese politician Bo Xilai, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
An Islamist militant group claimed responsibility for an attack on Israel’s border that killed an Israeli soldier.
The commanders of the rebel Free Syrian Army announced that they are moving their headquarters from Turkey to an undisclosed location in Syria in an effort to unite rebel forces.
The State Department decided to remove the Iranian exile group Mujaheddin-e Khalq from the U.S. government’s terrorist list.
Anti-American protests over the anti-Islamic film continued in Iran and Pakistan and erupted in Greece and Bangladesh.
A virus similar to the Sars virus that spread globally in 2003 and killed hundreds has been detected in the Middle East and identified by U.K. officials.
Supporters of President Aleksandr Lukashenko won all 110 seats in Belarus’ parliamentary elections.
Six Somali civilians were killed by a Kenyan soldier advancing towards the terrorist al-Shabab stronghold of Kismayo.
A suicide bomber struck a Catholic church in Nigeria killing two and wounding 45.
Commentary of the Day
Former President Bill Clinton presents his “case for optimism” about the state of world affairs.
David Ignatius reflects on an interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Nina Hachigian explains the link between a strong foreign policy and economic recovery.
