As his second term is about to begin, we may finally be seeing the emergence of an Obama Doctrine in foreign policy. It's one that looks very much like the Reagan Doctrine.Posted on 01/19/2013 6:59:05 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
As his second term is about to begin, we may finally be seeing the emergence of an Obama Doctrine in foreign policy. It's one that looks very much like the Reagan Doctrine.
In his 1985 State of the Union address, Reagan asserted that "we cannot play innocents abroad in a world that's not innocent; nor can we be passive when freedom is under siege." He urged that "we must stand by all our democratic allies. And we must not break faith with those who are risking their lives—on every continent, from Afghanistan to Nicaragua—to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth."
A few months later, Charles Krauthammer dubbed this "overt and unashamed American support for anti-Communist revolution" the Reagan Doctrine in a Time magazine essay. Its essence was use of proxies rather than direct American intervention. If a legitimate popular uprising was taking place against a communist regime in the developing world, Reagan reasoned that it was both morally right and in America's interests to help it with arms and material support.
President Obama has quietly adopted a similar strategy, one using NATO allies, France in particular, as a proxy. First, we had the March 2011 intervention in Libya, in which American forces played a heavy role in the initial strikes, providing our “unique capabilities,” but then quickly transitioned to a supporting role, providing suppression of enemy air defense; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and air-to-air refueling assets to enable the mission. We appear to be on a similar path in Mali, quietly providing combat enablers in a mission with France in the driver’s seat.
Unfortunately labeled as "leading from behind" by a staffer during the Libya intervention,.....
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalinterest.org ...
Reference to this FR thread:
Obama Seeks "Fuller Understanding" of What Happened in Algeria Siege
fyi
Reagan supported allies working in America's interest; obama supports every enemy of America...oh, yeah. No difference at all.
Well, there is one small difference.
Reagan worked to weaken and defeat our enemies.
Obama works to strengthen and empower them.
He fought the war against Kaddafi on the wrong side. And he never bothered to ask congress or the people to approve it.
Obama doctrine = communist manifesto
Reagan doctrine = US Constitution.
This fellow James Joyner is wrong on so many different levels, I wonder if he ever leaves his cubicle ... President Reagan loved his country, but obozo only loves his own stinky self - BIG difference!
Having been on President Reagan’s team, I can tell you that the author is smoking crack.
Pure unadultred nonsense.
Looney Tunes.
Rabbit Season, Duck Season.
Daffy (Obama) lost that argument as I recall.
Maybe they are suppose to be writing Obama's Legacy.
This author is out of tiny mind...LOL.
The author should be in a mental institution.
In his 1985 State of the Union address, Reagan asserted that "we cannot play innocents abroad in a world that's not innocent; nor can we be passive when freedom is under siege." He urged that "we must stand by all our democratic allies. And we must not break faith with those who are risking their lives -- on every continent, from Afghanistan to Nicaragua -- to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth." ...Its essence was use of proxies rather than direct American intervention... President Obama has quietly adopted a similar strategy, one using NATO allies, France in particular, as a proxy.Another meme-building op-ed from the same source.
From the “National Interest” website, some names to follow up, I’m tired, it’s late, and there’s a howling gale outside:
COMMENTARIAT
Conrad Black
Ted Galen Carpenter
Ariel Cohen
Amitai Etzioni
Bruce Fein
Leon Hadar
David Kay
Anatol Lieven
Robert W. Merry
Kenneth Pollack
Bruce Riedel
Geoffrey Wheatcroft
Dov Zakheim
current contributors shown:
John Allen Gay
Lewis McCrary
Paul R. Pillar
Robert Golan-Vilella
author James Joyner:
http://www.theatlantic.com/james-joyner/
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/01/no-longer-the-party-of-eisenhower-and-reagan/267092/
http://jamesjoyner.com/portfolio/
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