Joseph Nye on the Daily Star (click here to read the article)
Joseph Nye praises Obama's approach thus far, especially for the "smart power" approach, for having finally made the G-20 a reality, and for Obama's pledge to reduce and ultimately eliminate nuclear weapons
Visualizzazione post con etichetta Obama. Mostra tutti i post
Visualizzazione post con etichetta Obama. Mostra tutti i post
giovedì 17 dicembre 2009
martedì 15 dicembre 2009
Brzezisnki on Obama's foreign policy
Brzezinski on Foreign Affairs
A rather positive view of Obama's foreign policy thus far. According to Brzezinksi, Obama has managed to change the US stance on the key world issues, not least climate change. For instance, he has relaunched the US role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or has made a serious pledge to reduce and ultimately eliminate nuclear weapons.
Brzezinski goes on to analyze the three main problems President Obama has to face in the international arena: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (he suggests a four-point roadmap for peace); the Iranian challenge (it is necessary to engage in serioues negotations and, should that fail, to impose sanctions on Iran that are not harmful to its people, but only to its rulers); the Afpak quagmire (two things are needed: a limited accomodation to the Taliban and the support of Pakistan, to be obtained with help from China).
Brzezinski then talks about the US relationship with three key global players: Russia, China, Europe. On the last point, no comment is given on how the Lisbon Treaty might change things (in general, Brzezinski is very skeptical about the possibility that Europe can be counted as a single player: it is still Germany, Great Britain and France that matter)
Finally, Brzezisnki identifies three domestic impediments to the conduct of a "rational" foreign policy: the power of the political lobbies in Congress, which has grown in the last few years; the "deepening ideological cleavage" that makes it more difficult to reach a bipartisan consensus on FP; the worrying ignorance of the American public on global affairs.
The main point of the article is that Obama has changed the US strategic posture for the better, but has not yet achieved much. This is also due to the fact that he has had to concentrate on domestic issues in this first year in office.
A rather positive view of Obama's foreign policy thus far. According to Brzezinksi, Obama has managed to change the US stance on the key world issues, not least climate change. For instance, he has relaunched the US role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or has made a serious pledge to reduce and ultimately eliminate nuclear weapons.
Brzezinski goes on to analyze the three main problems President Obama has to face in the international arena: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (he suggests a four-point roadmap for peace); the Iranian challenge (it is necessary to engage in serioues negotations and, should that fail, to impose sanctions on Iran that are not harmful to its people, but only to its rulers); the Afpak quagmire (two things are needed: a limited accomodation to the Taliban and the support of Pakistan, to be obtained with help from China).
Brzezinski then talks about the US relationship with three key global players: Russia, China, Europe. On the last point, no comment is given on how the Lisbon Treaty might change things (in general, Brzezinski is very skeptical about the possibility that Europe can be counted as a single player: it is still Germany, Great Britain and France that matter)
Finally, Brzezisnki identifies three domestic impediments to the conduct of a "rational" foreign policy: the power of the political lobbies in Congress, which has grown in the last few years; the "deepening ideological cleavage" that makes it more difficult to reach a bipartisan consensus on FP; the worrying ignorance of the American public on global affairs.
The main point of the article is that Obama has changed the US strategic posture for the better, but has not yet achieved much. This is also due to the fact that he has had to concentrate on domestic issues in this first year in office.
domenica 13 dicembre 2009
Obama's Nobel Lecture
Video of Obama's Nobel lecture:
A transcript of the speech here
An article by Christian Rocca (Il Foglio) on Italian newspapers' comments about the speech (in italian)
Robert Kagan sul Washington Post
My quick comment:
An important speech by BO. He is not a pacifist, though many people thought he was. An idealist approach (economy, multilateralism) coupled with realist disillusion about human nature and the fact that "evil exists". Some will not like the "crusade" reference.
A transcript of the speech here
An article by Christian Rocca (Il Foglio) on Italian newspapers' comments about the speech (in italian)
Robert Kagan sul Washington Post
My quick comment:
An important speech by BO. He is not a pacifist, though many people thought he was. An idealist approach (economy, multilateralism) coupled with realist disillusion about human nature and the fact that "evil exists". Some will not like the "crusade" reference.
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