US Foreign Policy Essay -- American History, The Cold War

The contemporary foreign insurance of the United States represents an evolving continuum of principles, conceptions and strategies that in part, derived from the particularistic American Cold War experience. As such, United States foreign policy is neither a static entity, nor is its intentions or direction uncontested. This essay ordain examine the underlying issues of identity and how, beginning with the Truman Doctrine, a distinct marijuana cigarette of the national interest was evinced that has defined Americas role in the world. In doing so, focus will be given to the development of alinement policy, containment and its effect on transforming the US posture in the post-Cold War transnational order. Firstly, it is pertinent to reconsider the traditional narratives that underpin American identity. Inherent in this is Manifest Destiny, which asserts that Anglo-Saxon Americans are Gods chosen people, with a superior culture and who are pre-ordained to spread elaboration to infe rior peoples (Hollander 2009, 169). This tradition offers instructive themes for the formulation of American exceptionalism and its manifestation into a missionary foreign policy (Hoffmann 1968, 369). It also raises to the forefront the Manichean theatrical role of American policy, its solipsism and tendency to justify geopolitical objectives in moralistic ground (Lepgold 1995, 372). Thus, US foreign policy is a discourse for reproducing American identity, containing threats to its mettle principles and legitimating global actions (Campbell 1998, 70). The Cold War era ended Americas historic vacillation between isolationism and internationalism. The Truman Doctrine committed, in part to oppose free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minoriti... ... promptly evolving international system, the US is at the forefront and yet is most endanger by the emerging multipolar order (Zakaria 2009, 43).The contemporary foreign policy of the US reflects an evolution of the policies pursued during the Cold War. Using a combination of ideology, alliances and containment, the US cultivated a global order that defeated the Soviet Union. Having achieved pre-eminence, the signatures of these equal philosophies remains embedded in US policy and strategic thinking. mayhap the best indication of this is the designation of a new ideological enemy in terrorism and its resulting revalidation of Cold War dogma into a late raison dtat. Most critically, the US is utilising this new calling to consolidate its alliances and contain adversaries in light of the emergence of an increasingly decentralised, multipolar global order.