Obama Doctrine: 'Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail'
as opposed to the BUSH/CHENEY Doctrine:
SUN JUN 01, 2014 AT 12:00 PM PDT
Obama Doctrine: 'Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail'
by Ian Reifowitzr
Daily Kos
Outside of a time of crisis, the best foreign policy is often dull. But dull isn't good enough for the likes of Maureen Dowd, who bemoaned the fact that President Obama's foreign policy vision "doesn’t scare anybody ... doesn’t feel like leadership," or others who criticized it this week. And the president's foreign policy certainly isn't good enough for Dick Cheney, who called him a "very, very weak president ... maybe the weakest—certainly in my lifetime." You remember Dick Cheney, right? He was the architect of the single-most destructive foreign policy in American history. Hands down. If Maureen Dowd wants to scare people, maybe she can include a photo of Dick Cheney in next year's Christmas cards.
This past week Barack Obama laid out his approach to foreign policy in a speech at West Point's commencement ceremonies. On the fundamental point, namely how the U.S. should use its military power around the world, the Obama Doctrine offers a direct contrast to the approach of his immediate predecessor:
I believe that a world of greater freedom and tolerance is not only a moral imperative; it also helps keep us safe. But to say that we have an interest in pursuing peace and freedom beyond our borders is not to say that every problem has a military solution. Since World War II, some of our most costly mistakes came not from our restraint but from our willingness to rush into military adventures without thinking through the consequences, without building international support and legitimacy for our action, without leveling with the American people about the sacrifices required. Tough talk often draws headlines, but war rarely conforms to slogans.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/full-text-of-president-obamas-commencement-address-at-west-point/2014/05/28/cfbcdcaa-e670-11e3-afc6-a1dd9407abcf_story.html
"U.S. military action cannot be the only or even primary component of our leadership in every instance," said Obama.
"Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail."
http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/inside-story/articles/2014/5/28/intervention-vs-isolationwhatwillbeobamasforeignpolicylegacy.html
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Barack Obama should continue to ignore Maureen Dowd and Dick Cheney, and follow the careful, measured principles he laid at West Point. If he leaves office: 1) having ended the Iraq and Afghanistan wars without starting any new ones, 2) having maintained the alliances with the European and Asian countries that, together, dwarf the power of any potential threat to our country, and 3) having enacted agreement with Iran that deals with its nuclear program and helps move that country away from its reflexive anti-Western path, he will go down in history as a very successful foreign policy president. We are, thankfully, not facing a Hitler, Stalin, or Mao, and Obama has thus far avoided the trap of starting an unnecessary war. In terms of foreign policy, this president is on track to leave the United States significantly stronger and safer than he found it. That's a legacy to be proud of.
the rest:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/01/1302900/-Obama-Doctrine-Just-because-we-have-the-best-hammer-does-not-mean-that-every-problem-is-a-nail?detail=hide
