America's Future in World Affairs: Aloofness or involvement?

Event Details

Inis Claude and Donald Nuechterlein, a Harvard professor and a former State Department official respectively, discuss the future of America in world affairs. Given the historically isolationist tendencies of America, Claude raises the question as to what America's role will be in the post-Cold War environment: isolationist or internationalist. With the direct threat to American security gone, the limitation of resources, the general distrust of the government, reluctance to engage in long term wars, and an overriding hope that some entity other than America will inherit the world's outstanding problems, the possibility of internationalism seems doubtful. Contrarily, the concept of interdependence and the urge to surround America with friendly democratic governments to secure the safety of the nation, counteract the isolationist tendencies. Claude concludes by predicting America's role in world affairs will be less of an overarching trend but rather a case-by-case matter. Nuechterlein then discusses what he views are the driving forces in U.S. foreign policy: defense of the homeland, economic safety, the maintenance of a favorable world order, and the promotion of values such as democracy and capitalism. After identifying the current political trends in either isolationism or internationalism, Nuechterlein predicts that limited involvement will win out in the policy making. During the questioning session topics such as the effect of the media on U.S. involvement in world affairs, American interest in Central American politics, the importance of oil, and the future of NATO.