Foreign Policy

Link: U.S. Hamstrung In Policy On Libya

Summary: The United States rarely intervenes in other nations unless it's keeping peace, or protecting it's own vital interests. One of the most ruthless dictators of the modern time, Moammar Gadhafi, continuously treats people horribly, and the people want it to stop. The U.S. is struggling in their effort to decide what action to take. We are in a situation is "damned if we do, and damned if we don't." However if we don't intervene, we send the message that a dictator who is anti-western, anti-democratic, and who kills his own people can hold power regardless of their actions.

Relevance: Although we have not heavily covered foreign policy, we will before then end of the year. The president is the chief initiator of foreign policy in the U.S.. We have three different instruments of foreign policy: Military, Economic, and Diplomacy. American tries to stray away from full fledged war, but continues to use military in limited ways, most notably in the Middle East against Saddam Hussain's regime in Iraq and the Taliban's regime in Afghanistan. Economic instruments are almost as powerful of war. Especially the control of oil, which is another possible motivation for the entering of the Middle East. A nations economy is important to the nations long term survival. Diplomacy is the relations of nations with each other. This can cover things from economic deals to the rescuing of stranded tourists.

Opinion: I feel like the United States could help the situation in Libya, but I also feel that if we continue to help other nations, it will set a precedent that we will always step in to the rescue. Hopefully something like Obama urging Honsai Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to step down would have the same effect on Gadhafi.