Foreign Policy and National Defense, Reaction Paper Example

Free people essentially understand that war is the last resort for any conflicting parties. Only political villains view this perception differently opting for war as the first resolution to any dispute with neighboring countries or other threatening external forces. The paper examines the American foreign policy and national defense with the intent of showcasing their limitations and irrelevance to the founding fathers ambitions. The paper furthermore offers suggestions that can be used to enhance the policies for the benefit of the government and that of the ordinary citizen.

Essentially the role of the government should not be to win wars or to police other nations or the world. The government’s duty is to keep the nation from wars and protect citizens from foreign enemies in fact rather than concentrating on creating enemies. I agree with the sentiments that the political system must seek to minimize frustrations of the citizens instead of increasing created by their dictatorial stances.  If that is not the case then strong aspirations of the government to carry out any developments for the sake of the people may be merely met with cynicism as citizens choose to distance themselves from civic issues in which they need to be major participants.

The insinuation must by now be clear that the national defense and foreign policies have caused more suffering than happiness to Americans. The founding fathers of this great nation had hoped to create a special nation that would be a model for others to emulate.  Their expectation was that America would become a nation that respected liberty and freedom of other entities. However the American landscape has changed, republican virtues have little relevance to government practice. Through the national defense and foreign policies America goes beyond seeking to ensure that the nation is protected to even threatening other nations and imposing the American rule on them whenever the government feels justified.  Isolationism has been disserted and interventionism embraced even in inappropriate situations. The fact that the country is a superpower does not necessarily imply that it should dominate other nations. Realism should not be the backbone of these crucial policies. The policies have actually allowed the country to assume the roles of a detested hegemon.

If it is dominance that America seeks, then it needs to shape the national defense and foreign policy to allow the country to impose soft power rather than hard power on others.  With the intent of entirely soft power imposition, the policies should be shaped to keep the government from offering military assistance to foreign governments at war with one another, ensure it only targets aggressors and not innocent people or governments, seeks and enforces peace with other nations and simply practices noninterference in other nations’ disputes.