Wilsonian Idealism

From the start of our country, norms values and ideals have been set in place that have trickled into every aspect of life for the American, and even in how we conduct ourselves nationally concerning our foreign policy. These foreign policy styles have often been in competition with fundamental American values, and have changed following the structure of the international system. In this short essay I will be discussing the origins of American identity rooted in our foreign policy, as well as exploring some consequences of the tension that exceptionalism, expansionism and isolationism has had on American foreign policy actions, while offering a current event as an example. I argue that American foreign policy is rooted and inspired by several …show more content…
involvement in trade with Britain made it inevitable that the U.S. would be drawn into WWI. Wilson’s idealism was characterized by a strong engagement with democratic ideals and restoration vs. destruction. When the United States was dragged into the WWI, Wilson justified it on idealistic terms, that “the world must be made safe for democracy” (Kaufman 52). This sentiment may ring familiar, for it was also used by President George W. Bush as reasoning for the invasion of Iraq. Wilson was also responsible for the transition between unilateralism to a country that was more heavily intertwined in international affairs. From a more current perspective, in Andrew Kohut’s article titled “The problem of American Exceptionalism”, he argues that “U.S. internationalism often depends on the tenor of the times and who is in the White House, a deep-seated individualism, coupled with an inherent optimism” and it is these very traits which “entail a number of problematic consequences for the U.S. relationship with the world” (Kohut). Americans are largely uninvolved and completely disregard foreign affairs, and are more self interested in nature. This “self-help concept” impacts how the United States deals with non-state actors, particularly NGO’s, such as the International Criminal Court. The United States under the presidency of George W. Bush unsigned the ICC treaty because the administration felt that it was a direct threat to our …show more content…
has been in the media spotlight for an airstrike committed against a hospital in Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 patients and staff. “U.S. President Barack Obama has apologized for the attack, and the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, Gen. John F. Campbell, said it was a mistake” (O’Donnell). However, the director of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has deemed the attack a war crime, detailing that the “hospital was repeatedly hit both at the front and the rear and extensively destroyed and damaged..the quite precise destruction of this hospital…doesn’t indicate a mistake. The hospital was repeatedly hit” (O’Donnell). The bombing pursued for over an hour, “despite calls to Afghan, U.S. and NATO to call it off, MSF has said”