A Bush Alarm: Urging US to Shun Isolationism

President Bush’s vision for US foreign policy has evolved in five years. During his first campaign for president, Bush promoted a “humble foreign policy” and avoided talk of globalization. With 9/11, benign neglect turned to a go-it-alone search for security, with the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq quickly following. But isolationist policies have not worked, and Bush is a late convert to the notion that the world requires international engagement on issues ranging from national security to global economics. On issues like the Dubai ports deal and the Central American Free Trade Agreement, Bush battled fellow Republicans. Former Commerce Department official and author David J. Rothkopf,, quoted in this article, notes that “on the job training” is a feature of the modern presidency, suggesting that the new theme of interdependence is part of Bush’s evolution as president. The president could also be changing course on a failed foreign policy. The new task is challenging, as US voters reject any outreach, from trading with emerging markets like India to liberalizing immigration policies to allow guest workers. The US president embraces what he calls a new role for the US in a globalized world – but his constituents remain disgruntled about their own economic security. – YaleGlobal