Is the American Foreign Policy Effective
There was a time when the word of the US was taken very seriously by the rest of the world. They dominated the global stage in regards to political policy, economy, military, and to some extent culture. They also controlled various markets including becoming one of the leading red diesel suppliers during the war. But those days seem to a distant memory. The days of their global dominance have all but disappeared as a result of poor decisions and bureaucracy during the ill years of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Their influence on American foreign policy has made the US significantly less influential on the world.
The US successfully influenced the world’s politics, economy, and culture during several pockets of history, specifically during the post war era (1945-1955), and during the end of the Cold War. But in the new millennium, the US has proven that their foreign policy is insignificant and flawed. They have tried to influence the world, specifically the economy of Europe and the military and culture of the Near East. They have failed in these endeavours of late, and it would appear that they are not the world giants they once were. Perhaps this is why they are willing to make peace and trade agreements with China, arguably the world’s true future power.
In this second decade of the 21st Century, the Americans have shown great weaknesses in all three areas that they once dominated. Their economy suffers greatly, and thanks to a grand bailout by the rest of the world’s economic powers, the US avoided falling into chaos. Their military may still be the strongest in the world, but they surely are failing all of their missions, most notably their decade long war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their influence culturally also has taken a serious knock. They are no longer seen as the leaders of culture, as the rest of the world has been subjected to poor cultural and religious forces coming from the US.
The problem with achieving effective foreign policy is that you must be seen as trustworthy. If this is missing none of the agreements or inputs will be effective nor noted. The current administration is trying to handle and improve relations with many of the world’s key powers but this is proving to be extremely difficult especially when you have countries that want to take advantage of the situation and the American’s need to dictate terms.
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