Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Geoff Altman who wrote (2475)	11/29/2005 9:41:17 PM
From: Peter Dierks	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 71588

"Should American foreign policy be ruled by civilian consensus?" Public opinion has had a large influence on American foreign policy during the last century. Even American involvement in WW I was influenced by public opinion. During that era movie news crafted by the military with the assistance of Hollywood was used to shape American opinion. FDR took three years to mold public sentiment to support involvement in WW II. Then by a stroke of luck the translation of the Japanese Declaration of War took a day to make it over to his office, and the Japanese Ambassador took almost as long. The net result was a Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that cemented the deal for FDR. His response was to send troops East rather than West. The Korean police action was limited by the absence of support for liberating a people froma vastly different culture who were half a world away. Much of what Henry Kissinger did in the Middle East with "shuttle Diplomacy" was aimed at influencing American public opinion, and at changing public opinion in the Middle East. Gulf War I ended with Middle East nations threatening to renege on their commitments to finance American involvement if we went to Bagdad and removed Saddam. American public opinion was not strongly enough behind the effort to rid the Middle East of a bully to justify going it alone. It appears that history as I have interpreted it has laid out an answer for you.