Obama hasn't changed US foreign policy at all..

I cannot provide a link to this as it is a Stratfor report and you need to be subscribed to access it.

The report goes to show how US foreign policy has NOT changed under Barack Obama's new administration. I am neither Pro nor Anti Barack Obama but one of the main election promises he made was to change how the US acted towards the world and in turn change how the US was falling out of favour with the world. Many on this site, including myself believed that much of the Obama "Change" policy was simply an election ploy.. this is becoming evident now.


Biden unleashed the "new" foreign policy on the world in the Munich security conference over the weekend.. with prominent EU, European nation and world leaders in the audience, all waiting with baited breath for the new US attitude towards the world.

Biden on Iran:

Consider Iran. The Obama administration’s position, as staked out by Biden, is that the United States is prepared to speak directly to Iran provided that the Iranians do two things. First, Tehran must end its nuclear weapons program. Second, Tehran must stop supporting terrorists, by which Biden meant Hamas and Hezbollah. Once the Iranians do that, the Americans will talk to them. The Bush administration was equally prepared to talk to Iran given those preconditions. The Iranians make the point that such concessions come after talks, not before, and that the United States must change its attitude toward Iran before there can be talks, something Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani emphasized after the meeting. Apart from the emphasis on a willingness to talk, the terms Biden laid out for such talks are identical to the terms under the Bush administration.

So basically, policy towards Iran has not changed AT ALL. The US are willing to talk to the Iranian government under the precondition the they stall their Nuclear development program and cease their support of regional "Freedom Fighters".
These were the terms under Bush, Im pretty certain that Obama had offered non conditional talks with Iran during his election campaign.


Biden on Russia:

Now consider Russia. Officially, the Russians were delighted to hear that the United States was prepared to hit the “reset button” on U.S.-Russian relations. But Moscow cannot have been pleased when it turned out that hitting the reset button did not involve ruling out NATO expansion, ending American missile defense system efforts in Central Europe or publicly acknowledging the existence of a Russian sphere of influence.

The above policies were the Bush administration policies and they have not changed.

Biden said, “It will remain our view that sovereign states have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own alliances.” In translation, this means the United States has the right to enter any relationship it wants with independent states, and that independent states have the right to enter any relationship they want. In other words, the Bush administratio n’s commitment to the principle of NATO expansion has not changed.
Nor could the Russians have been pleased with the announcement just prior to the conference that the United States would continue developing a ballistic missile defense (BMD) system in Poland and the Czech Republic. The BMD program has been an issue of tremendous importance for Russians, and it is something Obama indicated he would end, or change in some way that might please the Russians. But not only was there no commitment to end the program, there also was no backing away from long-standing U.S. interest in it, or even any indication of the terms under which it might end.

One would imagine that seeing as the US is being booted out of many of its "friendly" bases in the region, the fact that Russia will be allowing the US to use its territory as supply lines to Afghanistan obviously stands for nothing.

Biden on Europe:

Europe and the EU is becoming a complex issue for the US. EU members except for the UK would not commit any more troops to the middle east while the US was under the control of Bush.

it was assumed that they would be during the Obama administration

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel made it clear that Germany is not prepared to send more troops.

Nato faces a substantial split down the middle.. USA and 'Anti Russia' members VS germany and 'Pro Russia' members.

Over the past year or so, Germany has become somewhat estranged from the United States. Dependent on Russian energy, Germany has been unwilling to confront Russia on issues of concern to Washington. Merkel has made it particularly clear that while she does not oppose NATO expansion in principle, she certainly opposes expansion to states that Russian considers deeply within its sphere of influence (primarily Georgia and Ukraine). The Germans have made it abundantly clear that they do not want to see European-Russian relations deteriorate under U.S. prodding. Moreover, Germany has no appetite for continuing its presence in Afghanistan, let alone increasing it.
NATO faces a substantial split, conditioned partly by Germany’s dependence on Russian energy, but also by deep German unease about any possible resumption of a Cold War with Russia, however mild. The foundation of NATO during the Cold War was the U.S.-German-British relationship. With the Germans unwilling to align with the United States and other NATO members over Russia or Afghanistan, it is unclear whether NATO can continue to function. (Certainly, Merkel cannot be pleased that the United States has not laid the BMD issue in Poland and the Czech Republic to rest.)

This shows things in my opinion.. after the gas issue.

1) People are warming up to Russia.. Russia is no longer the corrupt aggressor it once was, it is now a trustworthy contender for an economic relationship. While it is still not 100% perfect, it seems that Germany would definitely prefer to be friends with Russia than the US.. obviously the Gas issue is an influence on that decision but also the fact that germany sees the decisions that the US are making to infuriate Russian leaders and is doing all in its power to stop it.

2) The USA is losing its influence in Europe.. Big time. While an economic partnership is always on the table, the EU and European nations seem to be getting sick of playing the USA's game of world domination and would prefer to be making money and forging relationships.. not starting and fighting wars... Add the above the the fact that Turkey is waning from US influence to its own policies and the US might have a problem in the future.

As for Germany, NATO was an instrument of rehabilitation and stability after World War II. But Germany now has a complex relationship with Russia, as well as internal issues. It does not want NATO drawing it into adventures that are not in Germany’s primary interest, much less into a confrontation with Russia. No amount of charm, openness or dialogue is going to change this fundamental reality.

Willingness to talk is important, but what is said is much more important. Obama’s first foray into foreign policy via Biden indicates that, generally speaking, he understands the constraints and pressures that drive American foreign policy, and he understands the limits of presidential power. Atmospherics aside, Biden’s positions — as opposed to his rhetoric — were strikingly similar to Cheney’s foreign policy positions.

So.. anyone think all modern US administrations are run by the same "behind the scenes" individuals? It certainly looks like it.

How do you think this will affect how people view the US in the next few years? I think things will get worse and the US will become more and more alienated. Only time will tell.

[edit on 10/2/09 by Dermo]

No #! Sherlock.

Doubt it will in a near future my friend, in the mean time... enjoy some old fashion hate from the rest of the world.

[edit on 10-2-2009 by Skittle]

Originally posted by Skittle
No #! Sherlock.

Yea, the rest of the world was really expecting something great.. as were the people of the US im guessing.

He still seems to have the vast majority of the US/World fooled though.. I wonder how long it will take before it backfires?


P.S > Im not from the US... Unless you meant that the world hates Ireland.

[edit on 10/2/09 by Dermo]

Surprise surprise. Of course Obama isn’t going to change foreign policy (to any extreme lessening extent). He’ll do a couple of politically charged BS things like close a terrorist prison camp and secretly move the people to another torture facility. he’s not going to "change" anything for the better but he will get away with murder because so many idiots are absolutely infatuated with him, that’s why he was elected, why have a tyrannical leader that everyone hates when you can have one that every one loves and will follow to their deaths and like it. Now let’s wait for all the sheeple to show up and defend Obama’s policy, the same people that condemned bushes identical policy. BLIND

Originally posted by invisibleman11
but he will get away with murder because so many idiots are absolutely infatuated with him, that’s why he was elected

True, and with the US media behind him at every turn, the people will find it harder and harder to spot it.