Throughout the course of its history, the United States has utilized its foreign policy objectives for the purposes of pursuing its own needs. Although the United States has, in rare instances, pursued foreign policy objectives for the purposes of altruistically improving outcomes for citizens in developing nations, in general it can be argued that the US has a long history of hegemony and imperialism in the international community. Despite the position of the US as a world political and economic leader, it is evident that the federal government still envisions areas in which the US could potentially take a more active and aggressive role in world domination. Such is the case with the Middle East.Critically examining US policy toward the Middle East in the twentieth century, it is evident that relations with various Middle Eastern countries during this time period were shaped by the Cold War. For instance, the US forged allies with Osama bin Laden during the 1980s in an effort to help bin Laden and his guerillas defeat the Russians in Afghanistan. Further, the US was ultimately responsible for installing Saddam Hussein as the leader of Iraq in an effort to prevent the spread of communism in the Middle East.
[...] Through a careful consideration of American foreign policy in the Middle East since the Cold War, it will be possible to demonstrate that because the US government has served only its selfish interests, it has promulgated an outpouring of hatred and animosity toward the United States. Further, by examining what has been written about post-Cold War foreign policy in the Middle East, it will be possible to demonstrate that unless the US government changes its policy toward the Middle East, the best interests of the American people will never be served. [...]
[...] The central question that arises in this case is Critically reviewing what has been written about US foreign policy in Afghanistan since the Cold War, it becomes evident that the American government has not waged a full scale attack on the country for a number of pertinent reasons. Hartman (2002) argues that the decision of the United States to arm and train Islamic fundamentalists during the Cold War has served as the basis for the creation of a monster. While the US believed that it was in its best interest to stop the Russians from controlling Afghanistan, the choice made by the US is one that now has significant consequences for the US. [...]
[...] Clearly, the September 11th terrorist attacks carried out by Osama bin Laden were a direct reflection of the anger and hatred that the Middle East has developed toward the United States. As this hatred continues to grow in the international community, one can only wonder what will happen to US citizens. In the end, the policies pursued by the US government in the Middle East have placed US citizens in a precarious position. Until the US is able to demonstrate that is has more interest in the well being of the international community—i.e. [...]
[...] Rather the foreign policy undertaken by the US in the Middle East seems to suggest a larger tend toward America's selfish protection of its own economic interests. Not surprisingly, many other nations in the international community have made this observation. Critically reviewing the response of the international community to the foreign policy objectives undertaken by the United States, it becomes evident that, overall, the international community does not think very highly of the US. Tatum (2003) in his examination of the current sentiment of the international community toward the United States makes the following observations: Since 9/11 America's response to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, coupled with the ongoing ugliness throughout the world about what most foreigners believe to be America's unwarranted defense of Israel while ignoring all of Africa and much of the rest of the world what would seem to be a festering of hate for all things American has grown into an avalanche of undisguised meanness against America, Americans and any foreign policy that the United States wishes to offer the world (p. [...]
[...] Not only has the US government chosen to pursue a policy of democracy and freedom that is uneven, it has also blatantly asserted its power in weaker countries, while ignoring the global threat posed by others—i.e. Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. As a direct result of the policies pursued by the US in the Middle East, anti-American sentiment and outright hatred for the United States are now proliferating in the international community. This proliferation of hate had grown so extensively that the US now faces threats to the stability of companies and organizations that are commonly associated with American values—i.e. [...]
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