Assignment 1: The Cold War And US Diplomacy
Assignment 1: The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy
Dr. John Cronin
Strayer University
POL300 – International Problems
February 9, 2014
Introduction
The Second World War forever changed how the United States viewed its role in foreign affairs. America understood it could no longer stand by and watch countries abroad occupy other nations without feeling any impact. In order to combat this threat, several presidents introduced ideologies to prevent the spread of communism and position America as a leader of the free world. America looked for ways to promote democracy around the world but it was met with opposition. The Soviet Union was not willing to conform to America’s way of life and this battle was the basis for …show more content…
and Other Countries
The effects of President Johnson’s diplomatic efforts for the U.S. and other countries can be summarized as having a mostly negative impact. Many Americans grew to distrust the government because of the lies told to the public and international community to wage a full military effort in Vietnam. Additionally, many questioned the flawed intelligence provided by the CIA that resulted in the retaliation attacks in Vietnam. Amazingly enough, a similar scenario played out before America went to war with Iraq and again it yielded the same outcome as Vietnam (Davis, 2009).
In an effort to spread democracy by containing communism, it is easy to understand why other countries would begin to hate the United States for their involvement in foreign affairs. In contrast, countries that fear an authoritarian regime could hold out hope that the United States would intervene. Additionally, the United States was able to show its military might and better position them as a world leader and spread democracy to regions with authoritarian governments. However, evidence support that overwhelmingly, “America’s policies have molded perceptions that America means war…” (Huffington Post, 2012, para. 4). For this reason, one can argue that Vietnam was one of many events that forever changed how the United States was viewed by the international …show more content…
With this in mind, one can see how difficult it must have been to try to find a medium when dealing in foreign affairs. President Johnson’s diplomatic doctrine during his time in office supported containment, the prevention of communism spreading. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by congress in 1964, allowed President Johnson to escalate the Vietnam War in efforts to contain communism (Davis, 2009). The advantages of the Johnson Doctrine include containing communism and promoting democracy throughout the world. Conversely, the disadvantages of Johnson Doctrine exposed the lies of the United States government and fueled feelings of distrust domestically and abroad. Although the United States built meaningful relationships around the world, we are hated by many more. It is clear, the United States must build trust with other nations to take the coveted spot as world leader but it must start first with building trust at
Dr. John Cronin
Strayer University
POL300 – International Problems
February 9, 2014
Introduction
The Second World War forever changed how the United States viewed its role in foreign affairs. America understood it could no longer stand by and watch countries abroad occupy other nations without feeling any impact. In order to combat this threat, several presidents introduced ideologies to prevent the spread of communism and position America as a leader of the free world. America looked for ways to promote democracy around the world but it was met with opposition. The Soviet Union was not willing to conform to America’s way of life and this battle was the basis for …show more content…
and Other Countries
The effects of President Johnson’s diplomatic efforts for the U.S. and other countries can be summarized as having a mostly negative impact. Many Americans grew to distrust the government because of the lies told to the public and international community to wage a full military effort in Vietnam. Additionally, many questioned the flawed intelligence provided by the CIA that resulted in the retaliation attacks in Vietnam. Amazingly enough, a similar scenario played out before America went to war with Iraq and again it yielded the same outcome as Vietnam (Davis, 2009).
In an effort to spread democracy by containing communism, it is easy to understand why other countries would begin to hate the United States for their involvement in foreign affairs. In contrast, countries that fear an authoritarian regime could hold out hope that the United States would intervene. Additionally, the United States was able to show its military might and better position them as a world leader and spread democracy to regions with authoritarian governments. However, evidence support that overwhelmingly, “America’s policies have molded perceptions that America means war…” (Huffington Post, 2012, para. 4). For this reason, one can argue that Vietnam was one of many events that forever changed how the United States was viewed by the international …show more content…
With this in mind, one can see how difficult it must have been to try to find a medium when dealing in foreign affairs. President Johnson’s diplomatic doctrine during his time in office supported containment, the prevention of communism spreading. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by congress in 1964, allowed President Johnson to escalate the Vietnam War in efforts to contain communism (Davis, 2009). The advantages of the Johnson Doctrine include containing communism and promoting democracy throughout the world. Conversely, the disadvantages of Johnson Doctrine exposed the lies of the United States government and fueled feelings of distrust domestically and abroad. Although the United States built meaningful relationships around the world, we are hated by many more. It is clear, the United States must build trust with other nations to take the coveted spot as world leader but it must start first with building trust at