U.s. Middle East Policy - 1631 Words

Any discussion of U.S. Middle East policy is integral to the national political discourse. A presidential or congressional candidate has to prove her/his foreign policy knowledge on the campaign trail, but unfortunately the electorate is generally not informed enough to critically assess a candidate’s understanding, which risks giving our leaders virtually unchecked power to make policy in our name. An important part of educating young citizens in a democracy is to teach them the tools they will need to understand their nation’s foreign policy, past and present. It can be argued that a nation’s relations with other nations is primarily based on promoting its short and long term national interests, while reflecting its core values. In the process of promoting national interests abroad, a nation’s political, social, and moral values can be faithfully reflected, or become compromised/distorted to some degree when democracy and human rights are not advanced or are negatively affected. Many students are often astonished at how the U.S. has supported regimes that have not respected the rights of its own citizens, or its neighbors, and it can, and should, lead to very interesting conversations. A nation’s citizens, and rising citizens (our students), have a civic responsibility to seek to understand and critique their government’s foreign policy and examine the balance between the protection of vital interests and promoting core values, and to assess whether our policy makers areShow MoreRelatedU.s. Foreign Policy During The Middle East1991 Words   |  8 PagesFor over the last two decades the Middle East has gradually gathered attention and has come to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy. The focus on this region began primarily after the attacks on the two World Trade Center’s in New York City on September 11th, 2001. Iraq was the initial target in the response to the devastating tragedy. This â€Å"response† involved an indefinite occupation with the intention of eliminating â€Å"weapons of mass destruction†, with intelligence under the Bush AdministrationRead MoreSecretary Of State Condoleezza Rice1097 Words   |  5 Pagesof 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went up to 600 people at the American University in Cairo and delivered a very powerful speech on the advancement of democracy in the Middle East. â€Å"For 60 years, my country, the United States, pursued stability at the expense of democracy in this region here in the Middle East, and we achieved neithe r, she declared, â€Å"Now we are taking a different course. We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all people.† Her speech was seen as an attack on theRead MoreThe Aftermath Of World War II1562 Words   |  7 PagesWhile the aftermath of World War II is often referred to as one of the primary creators of deep rooted turmoil in the Middle East region, the effects of the Cold War and the United States often over-zealous battle against communism is just as much a contributor if not more. The Arab world and the Middle East region were clearly going through quite an extraordinary period throughout World War II and its conclusion, primarily with the creation of most of the states we recognize today and strugglingRead MoreForeign Policy And The Middle East Essay957 Words   |  4 Pageshas let loose a beast in the middle east that it can no longer control. Stephen Walt, writer for Foreign Policy magazine, takes a critical look at U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East an d presents a state level analysis on why he believes American efforts in the region have amounted to a complete failure. Looking through a realists’ eyes, he makes a sober and forceful argument that attempts to explain his reasoning for the U.S. foreign policy breakdown in the Middle East. Walt paints a pessimisticRead MoreMedia s Portrayal Of Islamic Extremists During The Middle East1178 Words   |  5 PagesSeptember 11, 2001, U.S. citizens were shocked that over 2,900 people were dead because of Islamic extremists (Kean, et al. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States). More deaths occurred in the Paris and San Bernardino attacks. Tensions between the U.S. and Islamic extremists have not yet subsided. Americans receive information regarding Islamic extremists through the media, from which they form opinions on what the U.S.’s foreign policy with the Middle East should be, whichRead MoreForeign Policy And The Middle East1107 Words   |  5 P agesAmerican foreign policy and what it entails. Foreign policy of the United States determines how we interact with other nations and also the standards or guidelines for these interactions. Foreign policy is designed to protect America and ensure our safety both domestically and globally. There has been an ongoing struggle involving American foreign policy in the Middle East and specifically the war on terrorism. Conflict in the Middle East has been at the top of the American Foreign policy agenda for theRead MoreU.s. Relations With Arab Nations Essay1554 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction U.S. relations with countries in the Middle East remain to be a point of great interest due to the geopolitical atmosphere and security. The vast number of resources both in the Middle East and the United States provide a point of common ground to build peaceful relations through trade. International trade is an extremely important tool within the global community as it helps to build relations. In order to aid in building trust with Arab Nations, the United States must rely on moreRead MoreU.S. and The Middle East Essay893 Words   |  4 PagesThe role of the Middle East has been very crucial to the United States, especially after WWII. The U.S. had three strategic goals in the Middle East and consistently followed them throughout various events that unfolded in the region. First, with the emergence of the cold war between the Soviet Union and the U.S., policymakers began to recognize the importance of the Middle East as a strategic area in containing Soviet influence. This also c oincides with the U.S. becoming increasingly wary of ArabRead MorePoem Essay1284 Words   |  6 PagesForeign Policy Debate The Current U.S foreign policy in the Middle East has a goal to advance peace, security, and prosperity in the Middle East. The Current foreign Policy is also supposed to defeat Al-Qa’ida and its extremist affiliates in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The United States Foreign policy protects the U.S citizens by governing international relations, but the current U.S. foreign policy undermines our national security in the Middle East, through drone strikes, the war in AfghanistanRead MoreOil And Natural Gas : A Source Of Strategic Power956 Words   |  4 PagesOil and Democracy in Middle East Fossil energy (i.e. coal, oil and natural gas) is generally considered as a main force that drives innovation of new technology and highly developed economy around the world from industrial revolution. It is also the â€Å"lifeblood† of the global economy and takes up 80% of world’s net primary energy supply. However, due to the huge exposure of oil reserves in Persian Gulf after World War I, geopolitical struggles and potential conflicts surrounding fossil energy