American Foreign Policy POSC 313

1
American Foreign PolicyPOSC 313

• The New Security Threats

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Redefining Security

• National security
• Human security
• Environmental security
• President Bushs NSS acknowledges that these
  issues must be addressed, as well as traditional
  security concerns.

3
Human Security

• Human Rights
• Population Growth
• Migration
• Disease
• Poverty
• Democracy
• Womens Rights

4
Human Rights

• First Generation Rights
• Civil and Political
• Vote, participate in government, free speech,
  etc.
• International Covenant on Civil and Political
  Rights (US)
• Second Generation Rights
• Economic and social rights
• Living wage, health care, education
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and
  Cultural Rights (no US)
• Third Generation Rights
• Self-actualization, development, health
  environment, peace

5
Human Rights

• Prior to World War II, human rights was not an
  issue how a state treats its own citizens is a
  domestic matter
• After WWII, HR became an international issue,
  Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the chief architects
• HR was seldom an issue during the Cold War, with
  the exception of Carter
• The end of the Cold War brought a new focus on HR

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History of Human Rights in U.S. Policy

• Section 502b (1974)
• Harkin Amendment
• Carters Policy
• Single standard for all countries
• Publicity
• Leverage
• Reagan
• Double standard
• No public criticism
• No leverage

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History of Human Rights in U.S. Policy

• 1987 Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act
• embargo on S. African imports into U.S.
• embargo on petroleum exports
• no public loans
• end to DFI
• Bush Tiananmen Square
• Clinton double standard

8
Bush Administration and HR

• No change to previous policies
• Did nothing regarding human rights before 9/11
• Tolerant of states that violate human rights if
  theyre fighting terrorism
• Also not willing to directly confront China

9
Population Growth

• There has always been a conflict between human
  development and protection of the environment
  which should take precedence?
• The new ideology of human security notes that
  they are intricately intertwined
• 1974 World Population Conference
• development is the best contraceptive
• 1984 World Population Conference
• need for family planning
• 1994 Cairo conference (International Conference
  on Population and Development)
• need to promote sustainable economic growth

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Bush Administration and Population Reduction

• Reinstated policy of not giving aid to any groups
  that provide or discuss abortion
• Funding to fight AIDS

11
Environmental Security

• Energy
• Atmosphere
• Biodiversity
• Sustainable Development

12
Energy

• Oil being consumed faster than new sources are
  being found
• Most oil concentrated in a handful of states
• Some advocate seeking greater use of renewable
  sources of energy
• Although the Bush administration talks about
  finding alternative fuel sources, little money is
  put towards this

13
Atmosphere

• Global warming
• Greenhouse effect caused by CO2 emissions from
  burning fossil fuels
• Kyoto Protocol
• Ozone depletion
• 1987 Montreal Protocol
• CFCs
• Agreement on the cause of ozone depletion in the
  scientific community

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Kyoto Protocol

• Requires industrialized countries to cut
  emissions of greenhouse gases.
• The U.S. refused to sign, but 190 other states
  all did. Went into effect Fall 2004.
• Would require the U.S. to cut emissions by 7
  from 2008 to 2012.
• The U.S. objections to the treaty were that it
  forced industrialized countries to cut their
  emissions while allowing the developing world to
  continue to pollute, based on the theory that
  destruction of the environment is a necessary
  byproduct of development.

15
Bush Administration and Global Warming

• Not convinced its happening takes an extremely
  conservative view
• Will not participate in Kyoto
• Reliance on market forces

16
Biodiversity

• Forests are critical to preserving biodiversity,
  yet deforestation continues at an alarming rate
• 1992 Earth Summit stated the principle that all
  countries are responsible for protecting national
  forests
• The Global South rejects the notion that their
  forests are part of the global commons
  infringes on their sovereignty
• Loss of genetic, species, and ecosystem
  diversity, also concentrated in the South

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Sustainable Development

• Development which satisfies the needs of the
  current population without sacrificing the
  ability of future generations to meet their own
  needs
• 1992 Earth Summit the issues of economic
  development and the environment were first
  treated as interrelated issues
• The World Bank advocates using market forces,
  such as incentives, to accomplish sustainable
  development