The Foreign Policy of Obama and McCain, Part II: Publicly Stated Stances

Here we go again, Ladies and Gentlemen, another go-round on the Foreign Policy unmerry-go-round, This time only with a passing focusing on Iraq.

On Barack Obama’s website, he has a page dedicated to his foreign policy as it relates to other areas of the world. This includes Iran, Darfur, Sierra Leone, and Israel. I will focus on his Iraq policy only to state that he says there will be a “residual force” left behind in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al-qaeda. His points on other nations include:

1 ) The eventual creation of a Palestinian state along side the Israelis.

2 ) The use of direct Presidential diplomacy with Iran. No “Saber-rattling”, Diplomacy.

3 ) Insulating the Director of National Intelligence, making him a more independent player, having a depoliticizing effect on the DNI.

4 ) Increased American and non American troop numbers in Afghanistan, 4 Brigades total, 2 American, 2 from NATO, among other things.

5 ) Increased Dialogue with the Chinese, among other things.

The Impression one gets in reading this part of Mister Obama’s website is that he believes that diplomacy and intelligence are weapons in the war against terrorism, alongside our military.

John McCain’s website however, has much less on the diplomatic edge and has a much larger military focus. While there are a great many different places on Obama’s website you can see for yourself what he will do, on a nation by nation basis, you get none of that with John McCain.

John McCain has No section devoted to Foreign Policy on his website, he does have one for Iraq, but No other nation is treated as such. What he does however have, is a rather extensive “National Security” section, which makes the following statements:

1 ) … the rise of potential strategic competitors like China and Russia mean that America requires a larger and more capable military to protect our country’s vital interests and deter challenges to our security.

2 ) … John McCain has been a tireless advocate of our military and ensuring that our forces are properly postured, funded, and ready to meet the nation’s obligations both at home and abroad.

3 ) … The most important weapons in the U.S. arsenal are the men and women of American armed forces. John McCain believes we must enlarge the size of our armed forces to meet new challenges to our security.

The Impression one gets in reading this particular section is that the man thinks of the United States Military as almost a diplomatic arm of the Executive branch of government. And while I can almost understand that, he fails to mention, at all, the need for actual diplomacy that comes from anywhere else but the barrel of an American gun. The Military IS a part of our Government, but Mister McCain treats it, at least here, as it’s most Important part, a point which I vehemently disagree with the man on.

Did not President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his final speech as president, warn us about the “Military-Industrial Complex”? It seems Senator McCain is very much about said complex.

As an aside, both men have decried the Russian Invasion of the nation of Georgia, which I covered in Monday’s article. An Invasion that truly did not get enough press to start off. John Edwards has gotten more press with a story that is a few months old, about marital infidelity, than thousands dying in a war with a resurgent cold war power has gotten.

Think there is something I am missing about either man’s Foreign policy stances that needs to be discussed? Think either man misses the point? Think I do? Want to discuss Foreign Policy? Drop me a Line!

Uncle Mikey