Security, Economics, and Morality in American Foreign Policy Contemporary Issues in Historical Context

Every destination is determined, at least in part, by the road that lies behind us, the road already traveled. "You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start."1 Global political trends and American foreign policy are changing in more ways, and changing more quickly, than at any other time in history. Because the world is changing so rapidly, we are in greater need of understanding the recent past. What is the status of U.S. foreign policy at the outset of the new millennium? What are the important trends and likely future prospects for American policy? To answer these questions, we must begin by looking at our past. To know where we are headed, we must first know where we have been. Where we end up usually depends on where we started. Every destination is determined in part by the path already traveled. Knowing the history of certain Cold War events is indispensable for understanding foreign policies of the present and the future. The overall goal of this book is to provide the historical background necessary for students to understand contemporary and future American foreign policies. This book employs a historical approach for understanding U.S. foreign policy in three areas: security policy, economic policy, and ethical dimensions of foreign policy. For each of these three areas there is a separate subsection in the text. Each subsection begins with a history of American foreign policy in that area. Each section then proceeds to separate chapters on the most important and most salient areas of contemporary foreign policy. This book was produced by a joint effort involving seven people in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. Roughly half of the text was contributed by the book's principal author and editor, William Meyer. Six chapters come from the works of other current or former members of the department. Part I begins with a two-chapter history of defense policies since World War II, including the Cold War conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Looking at the Korean War of the 1950s helps us to understand important contemporary U.S. policies, such as current troop deployments in South Korea and American fears of a possible missile attack from North Korea in the twenty-first century. Similarly, a look back at the Vietnam War informs a proper understanding of contemporary U.S. intervention doctrines, such as the Weinberger-Powell Doctrine. Chapter 3 then moves to a history of nuclear defense policies and arms control. Chapter 3 also considers the topic of strategic defense. Reviewing the evolution of two theories of nuclear deterrence (e.g., MAD vs. NUTS) helps one understand why the United States is now engaged in a long process of reducing nuclear arsenals and why America is wrestling with a debate over national missile defense. Chapters 4 and 5 look in more detail at U.S foreign policy in the Middle East and at post-Cold War humanitarian intervention. The Middle East warrants inclusion as the only region in this text with a separate chapter, due to America's geopolitical interests. Everyone understands the importance of oil to U.S. national interests. The Middle East deserves close attention due to the Gulf War of 1990-91 (in addition to the aftermath of that war) and due to the ongoing U.S. war against terrorism. Chapter 4 was written by Bahrain Rajaee, the University of Delaware's resident expert on American foreign policy toward the Middle East. Chapter 5 on humanitarian intervention is by Robert DiPrizio, now teaching at the U.S. Air Force's Air Command and Staff College. DiPrizio previously did research on post-Cold War intervention tactics at the University of Delaware. Part I concludes with a chapter by Mark J. Miller on American foreign policy in regard to terrorism. The importance of this topic is familiar to all Americans since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, a date that no American will forgetMeyer, William H. is the author of 'Security, Economics, and Morality in American Foreign Policy Contemporary Issues in Historical Context', published 2003 under ISBN 9780130863904 and ISBN 0130863904.