FREE ESSAY ON FOREIGN POLICY

FOREIGN POLICY

The United States outlook on foreign policy affairs after World War II was influenced by
the fear of communist expansionism rather than establishing foreign relations with each
country. The U.S. found itself with a conflict between its profound belief in the
constitution and democracy and a need for domestic and national security. In 1947, the
National Security Act authorized the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency. Its
role was to protect domestic security and oversee national relations. Following World War
II the Cold War intensified and the anti communist sentiment consumed our country. The
actions of the CIA conflicted with that of the constitution and the morality of the
American people. Many actions taken by the CIA were secret and covert. Since congress
would be required to approve or disapprove of any involvement in a third world country
the CIA would keep their actions quiet and not inform the congress. The CIA adopted
interventionism policies in third world countries to stop communism and promote our
ideology. It was not always known how much the president and his advisors were aware of
the covert activities of the CIA. In order to understand our foreign policy concerning
third world countries it is important to consider the assumptions, policies and tactics
of President Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Nixon. 
In 1945 Harry Truman took office suddenly and was expected to keep our country and our
nation together. Truman's main objective was to create a foreign policy that would
control the spread of communism through out the world including third world countries.
While facing the Korean War and trying to stop and contain communism Truman thought that
it was time to either get out, or begin a strike on China. The United States knew that a
"war against China might well mean war against Russia, which Truman was not prepared to
accept." (Ambrose, Rise to Globalism) Truman reversed the prior United States policy of
unilateral disarmament and neutrality to an arms build up and collective security. He
made America stronger than it had ever been seen before and helped in creating the United
States in becoming a world power. 
In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower was elected president and immediately became extremely
popular. He also shared Truman's basic view of American foreign policy. Eisenhower also
perceived communism as a force struggling for world supremacy. Eisenhower and his
secretary of state, John Dulles, and his brother Allen, who headed up the CIA, felt that
containment did not go far enough to stop communist expansion. A more aggressive policy
was established. It was during this era that the CIA began more covert actions within the
third world countries. In Operation Success the CIA engaged in paramilitary activity to
over-throw the leader of Guatemala, a Russian controlled dictator. This policy has
continued through many presidential administrations. President Eisenhower wanted to
control the spread of communism and did so by using the tactics of the CIA. In 1958 he
presented the Eisenhower doctrine which sent marines into Lebanon to support the residing
president. The president's intervention illustrated his methods for it was a unilateral
action that endangered general war to support a less than democratic government. Many
felt that his relations within third world counties were not up to date or current of the
time. 
Kennedy's brief tenure as president was the most noted for tense confrontation known the
Bay of Pigs. Communist Cuba led by Fidel Castro was about to receive missiles from
Russia. Since Cuba is only a short distance from the United States border of Florida.
This became a fearful threat to the national security of the U.S. Cuba was in the mists
of building missile sights aimed directly for the United States and Russia was providing
the nuclear warheads. Kennedy formed a blockade of destroyers also equipped with
missiles. " The threat of mutual annihilation remained high. Kennedy stood firm."
(Amborse) Khrushshev finally backed down due to a proposal that he would send no more
weapons if Kennedy would withdraw the blockade and not invade Cuba. Following the Cuban
missile crisis caused European counties to think about revising their relationship with
the US. Kennedy believed that that a struggle would remain throughout various third world
counties, but that it was important to negotiate through diplomacy then to use military
force. The third world counties needed to have their own desires as to what their
government should be and Kennedy felt that this was the time to start that process. 
After Richard Nixon entered the presidency in 1968 he chose Henry Kissinger as his
assistant for national security and his Secretary of State. Nixon and Kissinger both
believed that if a nation were weak, it might be wise for the United States to ignore
provocation, even if that nation were communist. If that nation were strong and able to
harm the US then America must and should act to counter that nation. During the Vietnam
War this administration authorized the bombing of Cambodia to destroy North Vietnamese
sanctuaries. This was concealed activity was not sanctioned by the American people.
"Kissinger created an elaborated covert network to keep the bombing a secret." (Rosatii)
Many Americans already did not approve of America's involvement in the Vietnam War. The
White House became very concerned that the Democratic Party may have received knowledge
of this secret bombing. This led up to the presidential scandal called Watergate. The
White House brought its covert activities stateside and authorized a break in into the
Watergate hotel to try to determine what the democrats knew about Cambodia. An
investigation followed which unraveled all the deceit of the Nixon administration. The
American people found out that this illegal activity was sanctioned all the way to the
president himself. Nixon left office in disgrace. 
"The Vietnam War and the Cambodia bombing followed by Watergate warned the American
people about the dangers of an increasingly autonomous national security bureaucracy
headed by an accountable president." (Rosatii) Congress passed the War Powers act of
1973, which set limits on the use of U.S. troops in hostile areas without declaration of
war of congressional authorization. It also set up committees in Congress to over see the
actions of the CIA. This substantially changed the United States foreign policy toward
third world counties. We still to this day engage in covert activity and support the
local paramilitary groups favorable to United States polices, it seems less likely that
the United States would engage its own troops without authorization from Congress. From
1948 to 1968 much of United States foreign policy was established. It was based on the
Cold War and fear of communism. Now the Cold War is over, but the US still engages in
activities in third world counties to promote our ideology and encourage democracy.