The Isolationism Canard Posted by Michael Cohen

Over at Foreign Policy I have a new article looking at the emerging fault lines on foreign policy in the 2012 election - and surprisingly enough they seem to suggest that there may be a new wave of national security realism sweeping the ranks of Republican presidential aspirants

Republican realism made an unexpected comeback at the debate as the GOP field sought to offer an alternative to President Barack Obama's military escalations amid growing public concerns about the costs of U.S. global leadership. If anyone three years ago had predicted that this would be the emerging division on foreign policy for Obama's reelection campaign they would have been laughed out of the room.

Are we seeing a newly realist Republican Party? Or is this a momentary search for political opportunity? Only time will tell, but if Monday's debate is any indication, the fault lines for Campaign 2012 might not be as predictable as once imagined.

You can read the whole thing here. But interestingly Jeff Zeleny at the New York Times had a similar take this morning noting that the "hawkish consensus on national security that has dominated Republican foreign policy for the last decade is giving way to a more nuanced view."

But then Zeleny goes a step too far, "The evolution also highlights a renewed streak of isolationism among Republicans, which has been influenced by the rise of the Tea Party movement and a growing sense that the United States can no longer afford to intervene in clashes everywhere."

Now to be sure Ron Paul is definitely an isolationist, but that word simply cannot accurately be used to describe any of the other Republicans seeking the presidency.  To characterize the view that the US "can no longer afford to intervene in clashes everywhere" or that interests should take precedence over values in national security decision-making as "isolationism" is not only wrong, it's borderline mendacious.

Mitt Romney's talk about bringing troops out of Afghanistan "as soon as we possibly can" is not altogether different from the position taken by President Obama. Michelle Bachmann and Herman Cain saying that the Libya war is not actually in the "vital national interest" of the United States is not isolationism - it's actually, sort of correct. These are completely reasonable policy positions to take; and they are firmly within a realist tradition in American foreign policy. In addition, it should be noted that Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum adopted a relatively expansive view of American power and Pawlenty, in particular, rejected Ron Paul's argument that attacking terrorist targets is not in the national security interests of the United States.

Indeed, it's even more out of kilter to argue that the American people are moving in an isolationist direction. Recent polling suggests that while most Americans would rather see the US play a minor, rather than leading role in global affairs a majority (50%) wants to see the US play a major, but not leading role. That's not a turn toward isolationism; in fact, it might be more accurately described as a turn against the DC consensus that views American interests and global capabilities as practically limitless.

To this point, it's worth looking at the recent survey results of voter attitudes about foreign policy from the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. It shows that voters continue to want to see the United States play an active role in global affairs, "exert strong leadership in world affairs" and maintain "superior power worldwide." However, at the same time, they would prefer more selective engagement, a lighter U.S. military footprint, and more support for multilateral institutions to share the burden of managing global affairs. 

Again, there is nothing isolationist about these views; indeed they seem more reasonable about US power and capabilities than much of what passes for foreign policy thinking in Washington.

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Isolationists have a pretty narrow view about stuff.

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wrong. ron paul is NOT an isolationist. and in many respects, he is less isolationist than any other republican candidate or the current administration. he is a non-interventionist. this glaring and consistent misrepresentation of ron paul's position is lazy journalism. not war-mongering and interfering into the affairs of other nations, is NOT isolationism. paul is a strong advocate of free trade, travel, communication with other countries. on the contrary, the constant US stance of placing sanctions on countries and taking sides in other country's border or internal conflicts further isolates us from others around the world.

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These are completely reasonable policy positions to take; and they are firmly within a realist tradition in American foreign policy.

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Paul is definitely an isolationist, but that word simply cannot accurately be used to describe any of the other Republicans seeking the presidency. To characterize the view that the US "can no longer afford to intervene in clashes everywhere" or that interests should take precedence over values in national security decision-making as "isolationism" is not only wrong, it's borderline mendacious.

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The pundits constantly use Second World War refereneces such as appeaser and isolationist to demean anyone who criticizes American military actions. It seems as though the mainstream media and the foreign policy establishment are still living in the nineteen forties and are unable to understand the complexities of the Post-Cold War world or Post-Vietnam America.

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Where was all of this insight from these same people 10 years ago when George Bush kicked of the perpetual war machine. And if Neocon war-monger John McCain had won the presidency, would we be hearing the same criticism from those same Republican faces? Of course not. Those positions are more anti-Obama than anything else.

Moreover, all of the Republicans candidates except Ron Paul support fully funding the already engorged Military-Security Leviathan into the future. And the latest Republican up and comers lauded as the next generation saviors of the Party include the bellicose but stupid Marco Rubio and the atrocious militarist Allen West who calls for even money to be thrown at the Complex.

People may be starting to a take a more objective look at the pathological Neocon policy model. But it is still the norm in the Republican Party as long as the AEI/Heritage cabal, The Weekly Standard, NRO and Fox News continue to call the tune.

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paul is a strong advocate of free trade, travel, communication with other countries. on the contrary, the constant US stance of placing sanctions on countries and taking sides in other country's border or internal conflicts further isolates us from others around the world.

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