Part 2: Where the Left-Right Spectrum Shows Its Usefulness Posted by Patrick Barry

So I'm going to go ahead and take issue with Shadi's post bemoaning the use of the left-right spectrum to characterize foreign policy positions.  At its core, I'd say that Shadi's position reflects uneasiness about using very narrow dichotomies to describe a world view. While I think it's unacceptable to use dichotomies (left-right being one example) to describe someone's broad position, I think its fine, even useful, to use them as shorthand for showing where someone stands in relation to a particular issue.

To show the usefulness of the left-right spectrum, it's probably worth investigating how the spectrum evolved into shorthand for an entire foreign policy perspective in the first place. Shadi argues that it’s because of the Right, and their manipulation of post 9-11 sensibilities, but I would argue that it was the debate over Iraq which largely served to popularize this left-right way of looking at foreign policy. 

Starting with John Kerry's failed bid for the White House, and really continuing up through the 2006 election, as Iraq grew worse and worse, you began to see the emergence of two parallel exchanges about the War.  The first was purely political.  The right recognized that as Iraq went, so they would as well, and the left perceived the issue as a political opening that would allow them to defeat the narrative that liberals were weak on national security.

The second debate took place within the wonk community. It was both retrospective, in that it examined whether the Iraq War was merely poorly executed or flawed from the start, and also forward looking, in the sense that people began to contend that U.S. interests would be better served by a withdrawal rather than a continued occupation. Here, easy political distinctions, like the left-right dichotomy, were less helpful for describing the contours of the debate.  Self-identified liberals continued to support the war, and lifelong conservatives had always opposed it. 

But as time went on, Iraq increased in salience and positions began to harden.  The separate political and policy debates began exerting such a reciprocating influence on each other, that they eventually became indistinct.  Politicians began drawing on ideas from the policy world, and policymakers echoed sentiment found within the popular discourse. Suddenly, the left-right spectrum became useful not just for characterizing the political debate over the war, but also for describing the dominant foreign policy debate with reasonable accuracy. 

This blending had some positive results, which mostly manifested themselves in the 2006 election.  Liberal politicians won on national security, and policy makers successfully used a political debate to build momentum behind their agenda.  But there were also consequences, chief among that people now tend to view all foreign policy through the lens of the Iraq experience, using the terminology and frames from that debate and applying them to a much broader set of issues.  This is where you get people saying that Obama has a leftist world view, or a center-right world view on international relations.  It's because the dominant foreign policy debate for the past few years has evolved largely along those terms.

Comments

[Dan Kervick]

This is unconvincing, Patrick. You are speaking in abstractions, but offer nothing substantive to back up your defense of the left-right classification.

What you may mean is that there is a Democrat-Republican split on foreign policy. During elections seasons, when the society becomes gradually mobilized into a state of bipartisan electoral warfare, differences within parties tend to be submerged and some rough consensus congeals. Since we only have two parties, we get two positions. We can call them what we will: left/right, up/down, red/blue.

But I know for a fact, since I have been arguing these points here and elsewhere for several years, that there are many very significant differences among Democrats on foreign policy, and also many differences among Republicans, differences which we can expect to re-emerge now that the election is over.

The really deleterious effect of "left-right" talk on our cognitive health is that it does not just encourage people to conceptualize complex sets of normative and descriptive alternatives into a partition of only two elements, but it encourages them to view the alternatives as falling on a one-dimensional linear spectrum, even when they manage to recognize that there are more than two.

[Cheap mabinogi gold]

This is a regular company. They supply cheapest mabinogi gold
I often visit the site. I bought mabinogi money.
buy mabinogi gold is my favorite thing.
mabinogi online gold I am happy to buy their gold.

[Tibia Platinum]

When you have Tibia Gold, you will become strong. With Tibia coins, you can upgrade and admire by others. You can use Tibia money to start the journey of the world. So, do not hesitate, let us move to buy tibia gp

[cheap rs gold]

Yesterday, my boyfriend gave me a lot of runescape gold as the gift. But I will buy runescape or rs gold to return him because I do not like that someone gives me something free. Although the runescape money is attractive for me, I will insist on returning it to him.

[dd]

I hope i can get silkroad gold in low price,
Yesterday i bought cheap silkroad gold for my friend.

[buy mabinogi gold]

Playing online games can buy mabinogi gold. I often come here and buy it. And you can use the mabinogi online gold do what you want to do in the online game.

[Marc Jacobs Handbags]

hope i can get silkroad gold in low price,

[fake Bvlgari Necklaces]

Playing online games can buy mabinogi gold. I often come here and buy it. And you can use the mabinogi online gold do what you want to do in the online game.

[Bvlgari replica Bracelets]

Playing online games can buy mabinogi gold. I often come here and buy it. And you can use the mabinogi online gold do what you want to do in the online game.

[luxury watches]

I am so with you,rolex watch
luxury watch

[ghghg]

CHEAP rs gold
MY lotro gold
CHEAPEST aion gold

[cheap coach handbags]

Thank you for your sharing! I like i very much!

[cheap coach bags]

Great comments! You are so nice, man! You never know how much i like'em!

[sohbet odaları]

This is a very good site..

sonra bedava chat
burasıda var bedava sohbet

[FFXIV Gil]

Are you fighting in Final Fantasy XIV for FFXIV Gil or Final Fantasy XIV Gil?
Can you suffer yourself being called newbie in FFXIV Gil game?
Are you seeking unofficial Buy FFXIV Gil cheats or Final Fantasy XIV guides in order to make Final Fantasy XIV Gil faster?
Can you get millions of Cheap FFXIV Gil in one day?
Even if you know how to farm Buy Final Fantasy XIV Gil you have to prepare enough Final Fantasy XIV Power Leveling first to buy height class Final Fantasy XIV Items, to upgrade your Final Fantasy XIV characters.
FF14 Gil Then why not Buy FFXIV Gil from us?
In Final Fantasy XIV it's the fastest way FF14 Gil,for you to get rich. We are online 24 hours a day ready and 7 days one week to power up your FFXIV Gil accounts with FFXIV Gil. Here is the best place for the Final Fantasy XIV Online players to buy your Final Fantasy XIV Gil.
We are the professional website in FFXIV GIL sale.FFXIV GIL here,We are professional FFXIV Power Leveling online. We update price every single day to make sure we are the lowest in the market.(we don't compare price with scam sites which uses unbelievable low price to deceive.)
Our slogan:Cheapest price, Fastest delivery, Best service! Final Fantasy Xiv Gil
In the 2 years we are in this field , FFXIV Gilbuilt many business with tens of thousands of customers. They are very satisfied with our service.So if you want to get a log of Cheap FFXIV Gil ,no doubt ,come to our website to buy. Our customer service is ready for you on line now!(WWW,GM MMO,COM Sell FFXIV Gil)

[nostale gold]

If the US wants to make the 21st century an American century, we need to use all possible diplomatic back channels to ensure that Kashmir is decisively made a part of India. Several mistakes have already been made on this issue in the past and there isn't room for one more.

[led mining lamp]

Specialize in manufacture explosion proof light, including: explosion proof floodlight, led flashlight, spot lamp, led mining light, led searching light with rechargeable battery in China.

[Doll Penny]

As the Apple iphone 4 bumper is taken off the marke, will white iphone 4 available soon?

[discount rayban sunglasses]

I have searching for information and finally this blog is very good and the nice designed.
This blog details are very much interested to the customers and frequently visit this website. Thank you very much for proving the wonderful services.