Answers to American Foreign Policy Questions
Answers to American Foreign Policy Questions
1. How did the American defeat in Vietnam affect the Gulf War?
The American defeat in the Vietnam War was crucial to the strategy and thinking behind the Gulf War. Because war in Vietnam was contained and not broadened, the net cost was high. Also because of the fact that decisive strikes against Vietnam were not really used it further put us away from the chances of winning. In the Gulf War, however, we systematically focused our attention on decisive targets. By taking care of Iraq’s resources one at a time in controlled precision strikes, we were able to cripple their armed forces and successfully win the war. Instead of a limited perspective to just wage war we were controlled and decisive in the well-planned chaos that unfolded.
2. Is a successful foreign policy necessary to get a president reelected? Give an example
Successful foreign policy is necessary to get a president reelected. As much as the public focuses on domestic affairs, it is vital that for a current president to be reelected that he has a good record of foreign policy. If you look at president Clinton you see a good example. Because of his dealings with the Middle East he laid the foundation for his reelection in ’96. Because of this coupled with the fact that he had a pretty good domestic policy, he was able to secure reelection. If he had a bad track record on his foreign policy issues he would probably not have been elected to a second term
3. Is a successful foreign policy enough to get a president reelected? Give an example.
Successful foreign policy by itself is not enough tom get a president reelected. If you look at George Bush, his foreign policy was, I believe, very good. He had a decisive victory in the Gulf War and his approval rating was through the roof for that. However, on the home front he was not as strong and that was his Achilles’ heel. Because of his lackluster record on domestic affairs, his bid for reelection was not fulfilled. Even with the strongest foreign policy, a president must still appease his own people to remain their chosen leader.
4. Why do radicals in the Moslem world regard the US as the "great Satan?"
The US doesn’t have the best reputation among the Moslem world,...