The Obama team has made important steps toward Cuba, Russia, and the Muslim world, but there appears to be no consensus for bold initiatives that are required to reverse the militarization of U.S. foreign policy established under the stewardship of George Bush and Dick Cheney. The advice to Obama on major issues, particularly North Korea, appears limited and constricted, relying on conventional wisdom and not out-of-box thinking.
Since President Obama is already the dominant player on the international scene and has the unusual diplomatic and rhetorical skills needed to seize the middle ground and find common ground, it is particularly puzzling that he has been hesitant to develop a strong foreign policy team and to break new ground in the international arena.
Instead of tackling the militarization of American foreign policy, he has relied on retired military officers to serve as national security adviser, director of national intelligence, and ambassador to Afghanistan.
Originally published a The Public Record
Melvin A. Goodman is senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and adjunct professor of government at the Johns Hopkins University. He spent 24 years as an intelligence analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency and 18 years as professor of international security at the National War College. His latest book is Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
