Do You Believe US Foreign Policy Is Really About Democracy & Human Rights?

Even though I should know better by now, I am still surprised whenever I encounter a person who seems to genuinely believe that US foreign policy is motivated by a desire to protect democracy and human rights. I keep thinking that at some point, all the lies and hypocrisy of the US foreign policy establishment will catch up to them and people will stop viewing said establishment as trustworthy and beneficent public servants. But despite all the lies and hypocrisy, there are still a significant number of people, particularly across "the west", who still believe US foreign policy is motivated by a genuine love for democracy and human rights. The only way to describe this situation is delusional.

It is public knowledge that the US government openly supports authoritarian regimes who brutally suppress democracy and rampantly violate human rights. The most infamous and glaring example of this is US support for the regime in Saudi Arabia, although there are MANY other examples. There is simply no way to reconcile US rhetoric about democracy and human rights with US support for the regime in Saudi Arabia. It is impossible. The Saudi regime's abuses of democracy and human rights are enormous. It is arguably the most anti-democratic government on planet earth. Clearly, then, US rhetoric about "democracy" and the like is pure propaganda.

Most of the true believers who show up in this thread (assuming they're not too embarrassed to defend US hypocrisy and phoniness) will probably try to change the subject by pointing their finger at some other government's hypocrisy, as if that somehow erases or justifies US hypocrisy. But the blame game won't change any of the facts as I've laid them out in this thread. At best, they can only hope to distract people from the truth. Because they CANNOT defend this situation purely on its merits. That is impossible.

 

yes it's crazy isn't it, they think it's a battle of good vs evil, right vs wrong, capitalism vs communism/socialism, meanwhile it's simply America lining it's pockets. hidden in plain sight...Hillary apparently isn't the only one with entitlement issues

 

To the ruling elite, American foreign policy has the same priority as domestic policy: to enrich themselves and make them more powerful.

 

No. I don't.

 

If America collectively was lining its pockets, that at least could be defended. Instead, the ones lining their pockets are a small percentage of the population concentrated inside politically connected industries like banking and arms dealing. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with either of those industries, but when the motive for profit outweighs all other considerations, then it becomes a huge problem for the rest of society.

 

It's about US corporatism.

 

Democracy and human rights is a major factor. If we didn't care we have the military to dominate the whole world.

 

You misunderstand. Democracy and human rights have never been the purpose of US foreign policy. The purpose of US foreign policy is to advance and defend US interests. In some places like the Soviet Union, it helped US interests to promote democracy and human rights. In places like Saudi Arabia, it helps US interests to ignore democracy and human rights. In places like Latin America, it sometimes helps to promote democracy and it sometimes helps to promote authoritarian regimes. Once you understand that the point is not democracy but US interests, our foreign policy makes perfect sense. It's only when you get do-gooders like Jimmy Carter and intentional evil-doers like Obama who fail to recognize that American interests must take priority over their personal opinion that things go haywire.

 

It's about enlightened self interest and it does the best it can but we live in a world of realpolitik.

 

Human Rights and Democracy are never concerns of Trump.

 

In fairness he probably backs fewer dictators than any of the Cold War presidents.

 

Note that in many cases "democracy" and "human rights" do NOT go hand in hand. In many countries in the world, "democracy" means the majority would brutally oppress and slaughter the minority if they had the power to do so. So supporting "authoritarianism" is sometimes the only way of encouraging some level of respect for human rights.

An example of this would be the rather authoritarian regime of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. Not the best example of a democratic leader. But he did better protect Egyptian minority groups like Christians than the popular Muslim groups that have come after him. Also in Turkey, the democratically elected Turkish governments have had a real tendency toward repression. But the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Attaturk entrusted the nations military to be a safeguard for its secular heritage and culture. So there have been a number of military coups in Turkey and the U.S. has normally supported those military governments.

Also the U.S. is frequently criticized for providing military hardware to various repressive nations like Saudi Arabia. What people ignore is that in many nations like that the military is the national institution most open to long term reforms and that historically the more advanced and professional a nations military becomes the less it is willing to be used as an instrument of repression. So the U.S. provides advanced military hardware (and inevitably the advisers and technicians that it requires) in order to influence the military of those nations in the future.

No the United States isn't perfect in regards to its foreign policy. Too often in the past it has done what was simply expedient over what's best over the long haul. And the U.S. wants to come out ahead and make money even when it does to the right thing. That's a natural inclination. But still compared to the foreign policy efforts of virtually every world power past and present, the U.S. has a good record of doing what is right for the people of other nations.

 

Do You Believe US Foreign Policy Is Really About Democracy & Human Rights?

I used to....not anymore.

 

Certainly not. They serve American interests. I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

Music to my ears, makes my heart sing.

Trump doesn't need glasses, he's got 2020.

I eagerly await your next performance.

 

I have always found it a bit disturbing to see the limited mentality on display from the Trump supporters. Quite often when discussion is taking place or a point is made, or god forbid someone offers verified data the usual result is some talking point or silly meme rather than informed and useful debate. I once considered American foreign policy to be on the side of and direction of democracy and freedom, but now the President seems to like and work with despots or worse, It has become blatant and ugly.

 

Nor have they been a concern of US foreign policy for many decades. It is about defending the interests of the Establishment international financiers - as these are the ones that dictate foreign policy (and domestic for that matter).

 

Just because you "believed" it was about Democracy and Freedom doesn't mean it was. It just means you were wrong.

 

Though you are certainly entitled to your opinion, I would like to remind you of what this thread actually is:
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Do You Believe US Foreign Policy Is Really About Democracy & Human Rights?

Obviously this asked for my opinion so I provided it as well as a smidgeon of my reasoning. I understand that you disagree with my opinion but that does not change it or make it wrong.....Are you new to this debate forum thingy?

 

I didn't try and stop you from espousing your opinion, just that you were wrong when you thought US Foreign Policy was about Democracy and Human Rights. Never has been, never will be.

"Forum thingy" explains why you think you should be able to voice your opinion unchallenged. There is no defense for your position.

 

Have A Nice Day

 

Foreign policy based on instituting democracy and/or human rights is a fool's errand.

 

“Foreign policy based on instituting democracy and/or human rights is a fool's errand.” Should have told Bush and Dumbsfeld that.

 

Yup. It's a racket, nothing more.

 

Please explain how wasting trillions of dollars on the Iraq war served American interests.