TOWARD A NEW
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY |
There is little doubt that the United States has an image problem, especially in the third-world. It is seen as a self-serving economic powerhouse with imperialistic intentions. It maintains large, easily identified military forces and installations all over the world and it's embassies, flags imperiously waving overhead, are often large, obvious buildings located near the headquarters of the national government. It's government leaders often publicly offer what must appear to the citizens of the nation so addressed as patronizing advice. In effect, the national pride of the American people is arrogantly thrust in the faces of the citizens of various nations - often in their own capitals! Also, US aid to other nations is almost never seen directly. Thus the various governments get credit when the US provides aid for development and social programs - if the aid ever reaches the people! On the other hand everyone knows that the US finances the Israeli and Egyptian military forces. It also provides military training and aid for various countries.
This is not to say that the US is really more imperialistic than other countries, that it intends to insult other nations or wishes to militarize its allies. That is just the conclusion drawn from many around the world. Unfortunately, it often has the effect of increasing the support of nationalist demogogues who use supposed American imperialism as a basis for violence and rebellion. For instance, in Brazil strong anti-American feelings purportedly based on US economic imperialism have, at times, co-existed with a moderate pro-Japanese sentiment, despite Japanese investment having been, at that time, greater than that of the United States! Of course, if one wants to target nationalist sentiment against a foreign power, it is often much easier to find the imposing, fenced-in and heavily guarded American embassy than that of many other nations. This also means that US facilities are an excellent focus for bringing international attention to various issues. A fact not lost on various protestors worldwide.
How then should the US work to diffuse its unintentional contribution to nationalist and revolutionary forces throughout the world? First, US forces should, if at all possible, not be amassed in major foreign cities, nor located in one place in any nation. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, the major US base should be broken up into various smaller bases spread around less populated areas. This should, of course, also apply to US forces located in other nations, where practicable. Second, the US should exchange its large, imposing embassies for smaller, less obvious compounds placed nearer to the outskirts of the major cities. Third, US leaders should avoid using the media to provide advice or threats to the leaders of other nations. Such advice can be quietly passed along without riling the citizens of those nations. Finally, the US should restructure its aid channels. It should begin reducing its financial support for arms build-ups in Israel and Egypt and only a small portion of US aid should go directly to the governments of other nations. A US Development Fund should be instituted to provide,at US pleasure, various projects, such as installing an adequate sewage and water treatment facility for some needy community in, for instance, a Shanty-town area of Rio, or removing a hazardous dumpsite near the center of Manilla to a more remote area and turning the site into a park. Such programs, sufficiently supported with public fanfare and, perhaps, a small, tasteful plate proclaiming each such project to be a gift from the people of the United States to the citizens of that country would provide positive publicity for the US while discouraging the use of anti-Americanism as a focus for violence.