The current Presidential administration continues an aimless… and bewildering foreign policy- it should come as no surprise considering the diluted message the United States has sent the world following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The fact that three successive Presidents have failed to show a unified American position in the world is a clear indication of a failure to understand our history.
The Final Founder
The foundation of American foreign policy was set in 1823… and crafted by John Quincy Adams and James Monroe. Tucked away in his annual message to Congress was a bold and profound statement about the global interest of the United States- supporting freedom. Too many politicians and “analysts” dismiss ideology as unrealistic in the geopolitical sphere. This “nuanced” approach has enfeebled our position in the world- we have lost our way.
The Monroe Doctrine is not just about keeping Europeans out of North America… the ideological framework of the proposal is too often overlooked-
“that the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers. . . But with the Governments who have declared their independence and maintain it, and whose independence we have, on great consideration and on just principles, acknowledged, we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any European power in any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States. “
John Quincy Adams is one of my heroes. He was a brilliant, cunning Secretary of State.
I wrote a piece on his career last July Fourth Week on my blog. It was written a bit hastily, so my apologies should I fail to mention something relevant, or place too much emphasis on something that isn’t: https://theportlypolitico.wordpress.com/2018/07/03/magaweek2018-john-quincy-adams/
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I agree. Far more effective than Hay. Hay was a shameless self-promoter.
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I’m not as versed on Hay’s career, but my understanding is that he was very much a careerist. What’s your take on the Open Door Notes?
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Hay was idealistic considering that the US was still a newcomer on the world stage. The policy itself seemed diplomatically sound, but it was nearly unenforceable.
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