Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain authored an article in the November/December 2007 edition of Foreign Affairs titled “An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom” that reveals his campaign's foreign policy platform.
Here is a quick summary of his article:
“America needs a president who can revitalize the country's purpose and standing in the world and defeat terrorist adversaries who threaten liberty at home and abroad. There is an enormous amount to do. The next U.S. president must be ready to show America and the world that this country's best days are yet to come and be ready to establish an enduring peace based on freedom.”
McCain has been on the Senate Armed Forces Committee for the last 21 years, so his views on foreign affairs are by no means undefined. Yet the article reveals a solid and more contemporary plan for how the US would orient itself to the world if he were in charge. Here is an excerpt from that article that particularly demonstrates how he sees America's relationship with the world during his potential presidency:
“As president, I will seek the widest possible circle of allies through the League of Democracies, NATO, the UN, and the Organization of American States. During President Ronald Reagan's deployment of intermediate-range nuclear missiles and President George H. W. Bush's Gulf War, the United States was joined by vast coalitions despite considerable opposition to American policies among foreign publics. These alliances came about because America had carefully cultivated relationships and shared values with its friends abroad. Working multilaterally can be a frustrating experience, but approaching problems with allies works far better than facing problems alone.”
A statement like sends an important signal to foreign governments that America might turn a more multilateral cheek under his potential administration.
His final paragraph is also revealing of his worldview:
“…The protection and promotion of the democratic ideal, at home and abroad, will be the surest source of security and peace for the century that lies before us. The next U.S. president must be ready to lead, ready to show America and the world that this country's best days are yet to come, and ready to establish an enduring peace based on freedom that can safeguard American security for the rest of the twenty-first century. I am ready.”
McCain discussed this article in an on-camera interview with Roger Simon on Pajamas Media. A few highlights from that interview are worth mentioning. I regards to hunting down Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan–action the Bush administration has not ruled out–McCain said “the worst thing you can do is announce that you are going to invade Pakistan to rid it of Al Qaeda… Too often we threaten people. Let's get quiet, let's figure out the most effective ways of addressing what is the most significant threat to our troops and those of our allies.”
It is also interesting to note that in the interview McCain characterized his international outlook as idealistic: “I would admit to being an idealist… tempered by a practical view of things, too.” In the language of international relations theory, idealism is often juxtaposed with realism, a doctrine more akin to a cold war mentality where no nation should be trusted and international cooperation is not seen to be desirable. McCain feels he must “admit” to being an idealist because a common criticism of political idealists is that they tend to be naive about security threats–hence his qualification that practical views must be incorporated into his outlook as well.
McCain continued on his idealistic note when he spoke in the interview of setting up what he calls a “league of democracies,” an informal body of like minded democratic nations that would act together internationally. On the United Nations McCain remarked: “I respect the UN, but we need to respect the limitations of the UN. The are good at peace keeping, not a peace making.”
We shall see how his foreign policy platform continues to develop as the debates and primaries continue. In the meantime, one reporter from the Ledger DC Journal reviews McCain's policy statement published in Foreign Affairs, and queries whether his internationalist colors will shine through his upcoming vote on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea up for ratification in the US Senate.
