J. E. Dyer has an excellent write-up of Sarah Palin’s recent foreign policy speech – a definite must-read. In it, Palin is shown to be someone who understands a great deal of what is needed for US foreign policy, especially as it relates to the use of military force. But because Palin – like almost all (or, maybe, all of them, entirely) foreign policy experts – fails to step outside the Wilsonian-cum-Post WWII foreign policy framework, she fails to deliver the new direction we need.
It is all well and good to be firm that if we go to war, we must go all the way to war and fight to win. It is wise to be wary of nation-building efforts without taking the fatal step of refusing to ever nation-build. But until the United States is freed from the entangling alliances of the past 70 years, we will not be able to build a foreign policy geared towards true American interests.
What must first be stated is just what is our most important interest. It isn’t peace. It isn’t the maintenance of international agreements. It isn’t ensuring national self-determination. It is the preservation of freedom – primarily American freedom, with the secondary need to preserve and expand the freedom of others as a defense of our own freedom. If we are not preserving and advancing freedom we are not only not helping ourselves but are, indeed, harming ourselves. In the preservation and expansion of freedom around the world is the best assurance that regardless of what happens to us – stronger or weaker as time goes on – our nation and our liberties will be maintained.
Unfortunately, we are tied to various alliances and groups – most notably NATO and the United Nations – which positively hinder the defense and expansion of freedom. The most recent example of the anti-liberty absurdity of our alliances and agreements is the fact that Syria – currently involved in massacring its own people – is set to become a member of the United Nations human rights council. Right now, in order to defend freedom – that of our selves and others – we require permission from either a UN packed with tyrants or a NATO packed with the bribed stooges of tyrants. There is no chance for a consistent, rational foreign policy for us – nor one in defense of our main interest.
Outside of the UN and NATO, our bi-lateral and multi-lateral trade and defense agreements hobble us and force us to defend unsavory regimes who work against our interests on a daily basis (the most notable of these regimes is Saudi Arabia…but they are just the worst sinner in the whorehouse, as it were). George Washington was right from the beginning – we must avoid entangling alliances. True US policy – the defense of our own and others’ liberty – requires us to be untied to any nation or group of nations, free to decide moment to moment and case by case what our action will be.
The next US President should pledge to end US participation in NATO and the United Nations, and review all alliances and defense agreements to ensure that no particular agreement is out of date and no longer serving our primary interest. Palin has made the necessary first step in a policy getting us away from Obama’s foreign policy idiocy – but until we get away from the dead foreign policy of 50 and 60 years ago, a return to Obamunism in foreign policy will be inherent in the system. Time for a change – a real change.
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