01:790:319 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Bush Doctrine, Terrorist Threats, Unilateralism
18 Dec 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Fall 18 - Lecture 24
Bush, Obama and the Iraq War II
9/11 and the Past and Future of American Foreign Policy (Leffler)
Post Revisionist School of Thought
• Gaddis similar to Leffler- broadly supportive but somewhat critical)
• American policy during the Bush Years
• Sympatric to Bush
National Security Strategy 2002 Bush Admin - Key Focus of Article
• Attempted to set out the Bush Doctrine: (Genuine) Fears and (Real) Threats motive Bush
response to 9/11
o Critics lack understanding of challenges facing US post 9/11
o Motives and straggles: wiser and more sensible
▪ Should not be criticized of highlight new threats and humankind as a whole
▪ Belief of technology has favored terrorist movements is correct
▪ Rogue states
• Central Features of Bush Doctrine (Jervis Content)
o Deterrence: states reliance on nuclear weapons cannot deal terrorist threats for two
reasons:
▪ Actors concerned are not rational - religion fundamentalism cannot be deterred by
nuclear weapons
▪ Actors are not state based - transnational
o Military Superiority
o Unilateralism
o Forcible promotion of democracy overseas
Leffler Support for Bush Doctrine: has been mischaracterized by critics; this is not just the naked
exercise of power supercity and naked real politic. This was a blend of realism and idealism; power and
military is there but equally important are American idealism.
• American Values and Ideals → Principles will determine our decisions not
o In the entire document there is no discussion of American national interests
o Blending power with ideals this is not all about power politics
• (Genuine) Fears and (Real) Threats motive Bush response to 9/11
o Exactly the same arguments and language Leffler uses to Truman Doctrine and origins of
the cold war
o Historical turning point equivalent to onset of cold war - new security threats and
challenges faced by US
▪ After 911 US became aware of existing threats
▪ Became aware of spread of WMD consequences for foreign policy
o US faces more of a threat than other countries - need to take this into account
o Preemptive Doctrine: reasonable and grounded in prudence (under those circumstances)
• This is not a sharp radical break from the post war period; US has been doing this for years
o Basis for American of foreign policy after war → Preponderance of Power - not
deterrence
o Bush and Truman - not behaving aggressively; simply acting prudently raised by Soviet
powero
