Slave to the US tradition of war [Gulf News]

Chap X · #1 Monday, June 27, 2011

Slave to the US tradition of war
Like his predecessors, Obama too has lost the opportunity to make the world a safer place
By Mohammad Akef Jamal,
June 27, 2011

Great nations have a moral responsibility towards the rest of the world at different levels. These nations have designed the world order and make decisions that influence the lives of everyone.
They also control international organisations, especially the UN Security Council. In this context, pertinent questions can be raised about the responsibilities of these countries.
The world changed two decades ago, with the end of the Cold War, which also allayed fears of the use of weapons of mass destruction.
With this detente, people anticipated a new era in which there were no limits to what could be achieved, and believed that the colossal sums spent on armaments would now be directed towards education, health care, economic and social well-being.
However, achieving these dreams requires that world powers adopt new strategies and ideologies, which take into consideration the post-Cold War era and the changes in the political, economic and ideological structures. The only remaining superpower, the United States, must bear that responsibility.
Since the end of the Cold War, the US has had four presidents, two Republicans and two Democrats. The new era did not lead to international peace as expected, and the world did not become safer or more stable, thanks to US policies. Washington blew the chance of coming up with a new strategy after the end of the Cold War.
The US failure cannot be attributed to the policies of the four post-Cold War presidents, as the United States is not a country that is governed by an individual. The failure is the result of the relationships the US has with the rest of the world, which were developed over the past 50 years.
All US administrations since the end of the Second World War based their policies on the assumption that the world regards the US role as indispensable.
The US has power and influence that is ever-expanding. It has complex interests and relationships; some tangible and others not. These interests and relationships have grown continuously as US power rapidly expanded.
Since the end of the Second World War, the US has been keen on being the world's pre-eminent military power. America is a liberal democracy. US administrations have always said they support movements that resist slavery, oppression and tyranny, and vowed to sponsor and enhance freedom and democracy while taking out despotic regimes.
US policy is different from the rest of the western world's policies; America sees itself as a positive force in world affairs.
The US has also used strategies and tactics for change similar to those used by revolutionary organisations, and has not relied on the usual, gradual solutions sought by other western countries since the end of the Second World War. Hence, the US has often found itself in disagreement with its allies.
Changing regimes
There are three principles of US foreign policy: (1) It does not hesitate to wage a pre-emptive war against any country or organisation that may be a source of danger to its interests; (2) it promotes the principles of democracy and freedom and also works on changing regimes that do not follow the same principles; (3) it uses diplomacy in solving problems around the world, while prohibiting others from playing any significant role. It is also keen on employing the UN and other organisations in implementing its policies.
All US administrations have worked on changing regimes in different parts of the world, whether directly or indirectly.
President Dwight Eisenhower was the architect of the Iranian and Guatemalan upheavals during the 1950s. He also planned the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion to bring down Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba. The operation itself was ordered by his successor, John F. Kennedy.
Both presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon found themselves stuck in the Vietnam War. Then came Jimmy Carter who employed US military and intelligence expertise in Afghanistan.
Ronald Reagan sent US forces to Lebanon and ordered the invasion of Grenada. George Bush senior ordered the occupation of Panama, and mobilised the US army to destroy Iraq, rather than to get its army out of Kuwait. Bill Clinton waged wars in Haiti, Bosnia and Somalia and was succeeded by George W. Bush who waged two bloody wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The recession, which hit the US in 2008, did not stop President Barack Obama from following in his predecessor's footsteps. He is not any less loyal than the three presidents before him to the traditions of the US administration: he too has lost the opportunity the end of the Cold War provided to make the world a safer and more stable place.

Dr Mohammad Akef Jamal is an Iraqi writer based in Dubai.

Source http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/slave-to-the-us-tradition-of-war-1.828413

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Pakistan military upholds values [Gulf News]	Chap X	Foreign Newspapers	0	Sunday, June 26, 2011 04:05 AM
the actual history of the US	Saira	History of USA	11	Sunday, September 07, 2008 07:00 AM
Mobile codes	nice051	Computers and Technology	4	Monday, December 10, 2007 09:56 AM
Ten Misconceptions About Islam	Chilli	Islam	2	Sunday, April 08, 2007 10:20 PM
Chapter Introductions To The Quran	sardarzada11	Islamiat	114	Monday, June 26, 2006 08:11 AM