Avoid Foreign Entanglements

McCain's foreign 'policy' problem

by smintheus,
Daily Kos

Sun Aug 17, 2008 at 12:38:40 PM PDT

John McCain's foreign 'policy' problem is that he doesn't
really have a policy. What he has are several tics, or gut reactions, that keep
getting played out on the world stage. When you look at the sum of what he
advocates, it amounts to a vague, incoherent, contradictory, self-defeating
mish mash of reactions against things McCain doesn't like. Almost entirely
negative, his foreign 'policy' offers very little that is forward looking. At
best, he identifies a few things he doesn't want to see happen. It's not
surprising that somebody who tries to build 'policy' on a crumbly foundation of
gut reactions - very much as George Bush himself - comes across frequently as
rash. A McCain presidency would be dangerous not just because he shoots from
the hip, but because that's a symptom of a deeper problem: He has no clear idea
what he wants to achieve. He has no method, no meaningful goal, and thus no
path to get there.

A coherent foreign policy doesn't necessarily require
elaboration in lengthy tracts aimed toward policy wonks. It just requires
coherence...that is, it needs to be backed up by thought until national
interests, goals, and methods are brought into line. Typically, you can tell
that thinking is clear when it can be summarized. So for example this is the
core of a coherent foreign policy.

Avoid foreign entanglements.