US Foreign Policy

American foreign policy in the years between 1820 and 1900 began with the establishment of the Monroe Doctrine, which warned European countries not to intervene in the affairs of Central and South America. It promised to protect the western hemisphere from European imperialism. It continued to exercise European neutrality.

In the US this aphorism is most commonly associated with President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt attributed the term to a West African proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far," but the claim that it originated in West Africa has been disputed. There does not seem to be any record of the phrase actually being used in West Africa before Roosevelt's time. Whether Roosevelt actually believed, for whatever reason, that the expression was West African, or whether he knew that it wasn't and was indulging in a form of 'Confucious he say' hokum in order to impart a degree of distinction to it, we don't know. It is certainly possible that he coined the phrase himself.

Though many decades passed before Monroe's plan was implemented, it became the first real doctrine of American foreign policy. In the 20th Century, the Monroe Doctrine became a foundation of U.S. foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.

Great britain

US Foreign Policy prior to US entry in World War I in 1917 was a policy of ISOLATIONISM and NEUTRALITY, with an official avoidance of heightened commerce with all parties involved in the war. However, Wilson intended to bring the US into the war on the side of the allies and covertly supported the British war effort. He did not make this official policy because entering the war would be incredibly unpopular.

C. Both wanted a bigger role for Americans businesses in the world. (APEX)

Isolation

Bismarck's primary foreign policy goal as it concerned France was to keep France isolated and weak. Otto von Bismarck was the 1st Chancellor of Germany.

1. Size/Geography

2. Economic Development

3. Security

4. Technological advancement

5. National Capacity

6. Political leaderhip(democratic, autocratic, dictatorial etc)

7. Ideology

8. National Interest

9. Public awareness and Opinion

10. Bureaucracy

11. Role of Press

12. Social Structure

13. Diplomacy

First, Americans believed that the growth of the u.s economy depended on exports. Second, they felt the united states had a right to intervene abroad to keep foreign markets open. Third, they feared that the closing of an area to American products, citizens, or ideas threatened u.s survival.

Isolationism began with Washington's Farewell Address and the Monroe doctrine. It was said that the US should keep to themselves and not interfere with the issues of others.

But then they began to desire trade with other countries and economic growth. This gradual process began when the US first wanted to trade with Japan. Expansionism then began and the US became one of the top powers by taking over Hawaii, the Samoan Islands, Cuba (Platt Amendment), Puerto Rico. And Roosevelt's corollary to the Monroe Doctrine kept order in Latin America, however it was seen as bullying by the rest of the world.

The final move to internationalism, rather than basic expansionism, came as the result of the Japanese attack on an unprepared Pearl Harbor, the general experience of World War II, and the Cold War.

Macon Bill

Contrary to President George W. Bush's announcement "They hate us for our freedom", this is certainly NOT the reason for Anti-American sentiment.

Any person who has been to a foreign country can tell you exactly why Americans are disliked in most countries, including the Middle East. Our foreign policy is very problematic in a lot of places. These acts cause resentment. There are some places in the world that would stop hating the USA if the policy were reversed and there are others for whom the damage is already done and the USA would be unable to recover. Major grievances against the USA include:

Economic Imperialism: The United States has an incredible amount of power to shape the economies of other countries. For example, the United States has completely destroyed the endemic Jamaican chicken market by dumping all of its surplus dark meat on Jamaica for prices far cheaper than any Jamaican could produce it. Although such activities are illegal according to the World Trade Organization, the US power in this organization effectively prevents the raising of this claim. Jamaica is not the only recipient of this unequal treatment as the United States engages in over 200 dumping activities annually.

Additionally, as the largest stakeholder in the International Monetary Fund, the United States has an important role in designing the loans that the IMF gives out to developing countries. In many cases, the IMF pushes for an end to trade barriers, which prevents industries from developing in-country and makes those countries import-dependent. Also, many domestic interests cannot be funded such as education and medicare, forcing the country to remain in the same position perpetually. Many African countries have been directly affected by the strings attached to IMF loans.

Support for Certain Countries: There are two parts to this. Firstly, the United States helps to prop of states that other countries vehemently oppose. Some such countries include: Israel, Taiwan, South Korea, East Timor, Turkey, Georgia, etc. Arab hatred of Israel, Chinese hatred of Taiwan, North Korean hatred of South Korea, Armenian hatred of Turkey, and Russian hatred of Georgia, lead to the citizens of those countries disliking American policy. Of course, this is not to say that the American action is illegitimate or incorrect, but the USA has chosen a side and naturally the opposition will feel anger.

Secondly, the United States has supported numerous brutal dictators in various countries, especially in Latin America, like Pinochet (Chile), Noriega (Panama), Batista (Cuba), the Samozas (Nicaragua). About Samoza, FDR famously said, "Somoza may be a son of a b****, but he's our son of a b****." However, the citizens of those countries were less than pleased that mass-murderers were in power over them with the guarantee of US protection, effectively preventing the viability of any resistance. In the Middle East, the United States supported Hosni Mubarak and continued to Mohammed Morsi until the Egyptian coup d'état took him down, two individuals who have consistently attacked and demonized the citizens of Egypt.

CIA Activities and Coups d'État: The United States did not just protect governments that were sadistic to their own citizens. In several instances, they helped install them as well. In the case of Pinochet in Chile (in 1974) and the Shah of Iran (in 1953), the CIA actively caused revolts in the country, toppling legitimate governments to put violent dictators in power (Allende in Chile and Mossadegh in Iran). The idea that the USA can replace leaders around the world with impunity is very angering to many individuals.

Cold War Activities: During the Cold War, the United States engaged in numerous proxy wars with the Soviets with many third-world countries as the battlegrounds. Angola was in civil war from 1975-1992 because of the US-Soviet proxy war. The Arab-Israeli Conflict was similarly based as was the Korean War, the Velvet Revolution in Hungary, the Cuban Revolution and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and of course the Vietnam War and the Afghanistan War of 1979-1989. These proxy wars resulted in millions of dead civilians around the world.

Military Bases All Over the World: The United States maintains military bases in over 100 different countries. If this is not a projection of military might, there is nothing that would be.

Unilateralism: The United States consistently avoids working within the bounds of the international community. The USA typically only negotiates with other countries when it suits them. They are more than willing to "go it alone" when everyone disagrees with them. The clearest example of this was the Invasion of Iraq. When US Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the cause to go to war to the United Nations, the other nations refused to go along with the United States. Therefore, instead of backing down and clarifying their research, the Americans invaded Iraq. Callously disregarding someone else's view will certainly anger them.

Aloofness: Many American citizens know almost nothing about other countries and have no desire to learn. They believe that their culture and way of life are so clearly superior to everyone else's that everyone should just aspire to be American. This sentiment is not well-received abroad.

Thomas Jefferson's ideals were a non interventionist policy in that, he wanted to trade freely with other countries and leave them alone as long as they left us alone. However, the Britain and the France were attacking their merchant ships so he made a bit of a rash decision and he basically created a non contact policy meaning we couldn't trade with any foreign country.

The US is in no conflicts with any nation; there are political disagreements going on with several countries, but that's politics, and perfectly normal. The hunting down of criminals (terrorists) in Afghanistan and Iraq; as well as the assisting in bringing law, order, and stability to Iraq is simply a law enforcement function; and is not a conflict with the host nation of Iraq, nor Afghanistan. The US is possibly having some rough diplomatic times (politics again) with some of the old "cold war" countries (Russia, China, N. Korea, etc.), but that's better than having the cold war back.

I seriously hope you are kidding, but that is a huge NO!!

Iran has not threatened war in 300 years and Ahmadinejad is not a Holocaust denier nor does he want to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth .. Read the transcripts of his speeches if you don't believe me ... Why would Iran want to be allied to a country that sponsors terrorism on its own people like they did on 911? The USA should stop acting like a Global bully !!

Don't listen to that guy he's just terrorist sympathizer but no.

No. The Sunni-Shiite Divide occurred in the 600s C.E., over 800 years before Colombus even discovered America.

There are Muslims that claim that the United States is taking activities designed to keep the Sunnis and Shiites from reconciling, but even if it were true, this would not make the United States in anyway responsible for the original split and the majority of Sunni-Shiite animosity and grievances. This is false, though, since Sunni and Shiite Muslims have actually been brought together politically by the United States both domestically and in Iraqi politics. The United States has never supported a country or an army because it is Sunni or Shiite and even its detractors have noted that the United States supported Shiite Iran (under the Shah), Sunni Iraq (under Saddam Hussein), Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, and Israel all for primarily strategic reasons.

1. North Korea

2. Armenia

3. Iran

4. Syria

5. Venezuela

6. Laos

7. Vietnam

8. North Sudan

9. Zimbabwe

10. Belarus

The United States has supported nearly every country in the Middle East. It gives massive amounts of aid to Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority. It has a strong trade relationship with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Countries.

its long standing support of Israel, and the critical importance of arab oil.

Well he had many foreign policies that he faced with britain they bombed pearl harbor in 1808 and then he decided to retaliate by raping their churches and burning all of their women not to mention he also had to deal with all of the foreign prostitutes he murdered by accident.....