How American Foreign Policy Inspires Resistance, Insurgency, and Terrorism | Stephen Walt

How American Foreign Policy Inspires Resistance, Insurgency, and Terrorism
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Since the end of the Cold War, the US has been trying to create a liberal world order-and it's been a bipartisan effort, says Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University. The problem is that pushing democracy onto other nations is a "delusional" pursuit that destabilizes states in already fractured circumstances. Walt uses the cases of Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan to demonstrate why the US needs an intervention on its constant military interventions. A better approach to US foreign policy? Walt suggests leading by example. The best way to spread democracy abroad might be to have a strong democracy at home. The Charles Koch Foundation aims to further understanding of how US foreign policy affects American people and societal well-being. Through grants, events, and collaborative partnerships, the Foundation is working to stretch the boundaries of foreign policy research and debate by discussing ideas in strategy, trade, and diplomacy that often go unheeded in the US capital. For more information, visit charleskochfoundation.org.
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STEPHEN WALT:
Stephen M. Walt is the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University. He previously taught at Princeton University and the University of Chicago, where he served as Master of the Social Science Collegiate Division and Deputy Dean of Social Sciences.
He has been a Resident Associate of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace and a Guest Scholar at the Brookings Institution, and he has also served as a consultant for the Institute of Defense Analyses, the Center for Naval Analyses, and the National Defense University. He presently serves on the editorial boards of Foreign Policy, Security Studies, International Relations, and Journal of Cold War Studies, and he also serves as Co-Editor of the Cornell Studies in Security Affairs, published by Cornell University Press. Additionally, he was elected as a Fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in May 2005.
Professor Walt is the author of The Origins of Alliances (1987), which received the 1988 Edgar S. Furniss National Security Book Award. He is also the author of Revolution and War (1996), Taming American Power: The Global Response to U.S. Primacy (2005), and, with co-author J.J. Mearsheimer, The Israel Lobby (2007).
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TRANSCRIPT:
Stephen Walt: Well, the United States really since the end of the Cold War has launched a project to try to spread what you might call a liberal world order in many parts of the world. We started the 1990s thinking that democracy, free markets, and lots of other good things were spreading almost automatically, but the Clinton administration decided to give it a shove with NATO expansion, with a number of other programs designed to spread democracy in various places, and then, of course, the Bush administration took it to the next level with the invasion of Iraq. But this didn’t stop under the Obama administration which, of course, tried to topple Muammar Gaddafi, as well.
So this is a bipartisan product of democratic liberal internationalists and republican neoconservatives, and the basic idea is to try to spread something like the American system in as many places around the world as we could. The problem is: this doesn’t work very well. It failed in Iraq, it’s failing in Afghanistan, it failed in Yemen, it failed in Libya, and it’s not looking particularly good in places like Hungary and Poland, which are starting to show certain illiberal signs. Moreover, the optimism people once had about Russia becoming a member of the democratic family of nations, I think, have been disappointed as well.
Now why has this failed? Well, the first problem, of course, is that spreading democracy into other countries inevitably means regime change. You’ve got to get rid of the existing government and replace it with something new. But of course when you take apart an existing order you can’t be sure what the new order is going to look like, and you’re going to create a lot of angry losers, people who are resentful at their loss of power and status. And in some places like Iraq or Libya they’re able to take up arms to resist this effort.
So simultaneously you create an incentive for resistance, an incentive for insurgency, and by destroying the existing order you also create an open space where terrorists and other extremists can flourish.
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/videos/stephen-w...

[@ukiluser]

The United States doesn't have good or bad will, it has economic interest.

[@ukiluser]

C J Titan thats right

[@ukiluser]

C J Titan well, I'm not a fan of capitalism and I'm not a communist either

[@ukiluser]

C J Titan I know

ForrestSCS Currently it's not free. We have to pay for our internet and computers, right? Capitalism will end, one way or another, it needs to for us humans to survive. As long as we have a system based on profit war will be around. We don't have a free exchange of ideas, see patents and copy rights. If you ever stop being shortsighted and are open to new ideas I suggest looking into this. thezeitgeistmovement.com/faq/ Localization is they key.

[@henkburg826]

It's a cancer

[@Galaxia53]

The best way to attempt to change another country is probably to basically try to talk with them about leadership and democracy while mainly focusing on the prosperity of your own country. It doesn't guarantee anything but the alternative is forcing and not only does that not work forcing others to do as you please is weak to me. You can not and should not try to control them.

[@thijsjong]

We require additional pylons, we require more minerals.

[@artificiallyflavord5588]

We require more vespene gas.

[@alkazkaz941]

American foreign policy has been about supporting liberalism, and by that I mean economic liberalism, rather than actual democracy. Examples for this are countless (Latin America, Indonesia.. etc).

[@narlycat]

200 years and we're still fucked up. we ought to intervene in Texas and Alabama

[@fwmurnau758]

narlycat we're fine down here in Texas.

[@arthurwilton958]

Nationalism is a very powerful force. People in other countries tend to reject foreign meddling in the same way that we would. So intervention starts off at a very strong disadvantage. Also, most societies consist of different ethnic and social groups that fear each other, but which have found ways to coexist. American intervention disrupts those compromises and sets different groups against each other.

[@JustOneAsbesto]

Right. "Spreading Democracy" That's what American foreign policy is about. lolololololololololololololol

[@charliem123321]

Always love your videos, cheers!

[@nathanpen1031]

Sorry, I should have added in that last post that Senator McCain is a "prisoner of war survivor", "cancer victim" and all round great guy that is a (sometime) maverick.

[@ThePortakalim]

Excellent talk!

[@gsilcoful]

Thank you.

[@tw06le1]

Hey, peeps the water is getting warm- "Gov. don't worry bout it, just enjoy the ride, it's just a jacuzzi" - yet 320Mill of you sit there boiling to death.

[@apuntes8883]

Insurgency is a well developed method that really started (in its more evolved form) in the times of the URSS. The URSS developed its social system almost togheter in paralllel with the modern democratic system of the US so they were present when the actual engineering of the system took place therefore they knew how to challenge it. Insurgence is an actual army that exceedes a conventional one thus making impossible for any State to harness control over those conditions specially when society becomes an actor, (international legislation supposses to ensure the reciprocity in any former conventional military conflict but they break that expectation). "Social education" for insurgency consists in teaching the masses to demand more rights and liberalization (which is in line with the democratic engineering of modern societies) in order to makes the Administrations to release resources into the people´s as well as putting in the hands of the people the Ideological/political power of the State (which is in line with democracy but not necessarily with the many "Criterias of the Administration"). Once these BARRIERS are thrown down the people the enxt phase is thus empowered to RESIST as they go by taking the ideological and political leadership on the actual administration. After that protests, insurgency and guerrillas become part of the social organization with the support of a national army and an international political wing. It has its root in the social education in most continents since early stages regarding the imperialist and its culturistic social ways for living.

[@carlunaden]

America's Foreign Policy has been like that since... forever.

[@Trund27]

This man knows his stuff. Thank you.

[@ntwadumelamata7785]

We are not the police officers to the world. Take care of home first.

[@Zzeo7]

Ntwadumela MATA ironicly thats exactly what the us is doing with these actions

[@tonedowne]

Its not that the government stole the money through taxation, its that the billionaires stole the government. Taxation is still the cheapest way to pay for hugely expensive things. It seems like theft when the people no longer have any influence on government policy, i.e where the money goes. Anybody actually vote for spending money on tax cuts for rich people? Yet thats what you get over and over

[@fleecemanjenkins6648]

We're the American police officers of the world: we beat up brown people, plant weapons and get off scot-free.

[@tonedowne]

The idea of government is that it is the business end of a representative democracy. It is supposed to be filled with representatives who are put there by the electorate to work on their behalf. I know that americas political system no longer works that way as the legalised corruption allows the elected representatives to serve their direct financial interests instead of the interests of their constituents. That doesn't make the idea of democracy null and void. I can't afford to resurface the roads on my own, but collectively my city can I can't afford to pay for my local police station, but collectively my city can. If enough people are unhappy with the way that their collective money is being spent, they have the power to elect other people to do the job. This is democracy, it is a delicate flower that needs constant supervision but it is the best way of meeting most people needs most of the time. You talk about choice, but people generally want the same things.Transport, healthcare, education, a legal system, electricity, water, housing and a voice. Financial collectivism provides most of those things more effectively than individualism. Even private healthcare is financial collectivism. The free market only exists at all because of government regulations. Left to take its natural course capitalism produces ultimate winners and therefore monopolies and therefore no choice. Personally I like my monopolies to have democratic accountability. For me being a customer is not enough, I want a vote and I want it to mean something and I don't want anybody else's vote to mean more or less that mine. If you think all that is like slavery then you don't understand slavery and quite frankly are belittling the plight of people who are living in slavery right now

[@homewall744]

We should only take care of ourselves. Leave others to their ways unless they are a threat to us directly. National interests have no bearing outside of our nation. At best, we need to declare war, or use a NATO/UN security mandate before we interfere in other nations.

[@angelic8632002]

Moral of the story: You cant force cultural change, you have to encourage it. Showing it works by example and making it a desired goal, voluntarily. That said. I do think the world needs to unite under some common values. Like respecting individual rights and way of living, and aspire to leaderships that lead by example and not authority.

[@AageKush]

The problem is that it is not an accident that they are causing terrorism.

[@sladetuner8661]

and i do not want governments of other nations putting their agenda and believes on myself and my fellow Americans too

[@zacharylikesmath]

5:51 "well-intentioned"

[@importantname]

Democracy is not everybodies cup of tea.

[@importantname]

Where i grew up - if someone pushes you, you must push back harder, otherwise every thing will be taken off you. If a nation pushes another and they grew up with the same ideal - they will push back as hard as possible. Alas I have learned that those who push the most often get other people to do the pushing - the pawns.

[@GraemeMarkNI]

In 2017 it takes a Harvard Professor to say this?

[@nokoolaid]

Right on the money.

[@eboysix]

Wouldn't it be fun to go old school and send missionaries to spread democracy?

[@trajan74]

That would involve not being corrupt. We're not into that.

[@mrpablomx]

"Well intended efforts"... riiiight.

[@LuisFonseca1]

Yeah, AGIP (Eni) needed a lot of humanitarian support in Libia. So did the petrodollar...

[@akabaker98]

Just don’t lead by Trump...

[@Galaxia53]

It's not like Hillary was a very peace loving fellow.

[@bidenator9760]

Both Trump and Hillary have been salivating at the idea of war with Iran.

[@frankblangeard8865]

Walt seems like a very intelligent man. Does he really believe that the motivations of the United States are really as pure and altruistic as he seems to?

[@Mageroeth]

Whoa hold on i saw the koch institute on the video holy shit....please don't sell out.

[@torahislife]

Makes alot of sense to get our own shit together first and allow others autonomy though arms length alliances that respect differences. The fact is that many cultures are not ready for a democratic republic like the US. Other cultures (Islamic) view free societies as an evil to be destroyed, enslaved, and forced into Sharia. Best thing is be strong at home and align with like-minded cultures and peoples.

[@maxwellbliss]

Best one yet Big Think!!! Thank you!!!

[@shalaws]

Poor America 🙁 is this guy serious! He uses words invasion and spreading democracy in the same sentence! Democracy indeed

[@salajmi3619]

Only 10k viewers.

[@CalWillify]

Every time he says "well intentioned" I cringe.

[@shallway]

Resistance -> Insurgency -> Chaos That's exactly what America wants. It's not "bad ideas" with "good intention" - don't be naive people. America benefits from chaos from other parts of the world, and from others' suffering can America prosper and maintain their extremely materialistic way of life and world status.

[@haroldrichardson5919]

i.e Venezuela

[@VeryProPlayerYesSir1122]

There is nothing wrong with regime changes. The good example is Star wars.

[@natepowley]

One of the few big think videos I actually agree with. I think US should just be more conquest oriented. lmao usually they have stupid speakers doing stupid subjects.

[@Lazy_Llama]

The US involve themselves with countries that have strategic importance to them or to stop the spread of ideologies they despise and/or fear such as communism/socialism. I can't even think of a conflict they tried to resolve purely to stop genocidal acts without any other agenda behind these motives. The US should stop getting involve in countries affairs altogether not just with its armies but also by sending weapons, supplies and information you have done enough damage and you only make things worse for everyone involved both directly and indirectly. As this guy said you need to sort your own shit out if you really want to be a leader of a free world lead by example not force, especially for your own gains at the expense of hundred's of thousand's suffering.....

[@MTread545]

Peace is popular

[@vijaybhat7619]

Your Democracy

[@XenogeneGray]

"We don't know how to create viable democracies in other countries" My suggestion, work out how to do that for the USA first :)

[@fbsiubvsitdhdhjuk]

Yes. Enough is enough. Make America great again. Let the rest of the world do its own thing.

[@keystothebox]

Wrong, we know how to create democracy and republics via historical lessons: A countries citizens must want it and fight for it on their own. Interference or coerced change by other countries will always fail.

[@lightningspark212]

With the Name of God. "There was two servants of God whom were guided grape gardens each with fields of produce. They had date palms surrounding the gardens. They had growing produce with no decrease. They had running water in the midst of them When the two servants were mutually talking My Grape garden and my children are superior to yours and and I am more superior than you in respect of Men. And the day of resurrection is a lie. I will find better possessions with my God if it is true" Said the other Servant: "As for me, I hold no equals with God. Do you disbelieve in God.You may have been given such possessions because I am going be given better possessions. You may be given a disaster like fire, lighting bolts or even the running water may sink in to the ground and you cannot have not be powerful enough to get the water. God gave torment to the servant. He was only clapping his hands out of sorrow. " This is from the Noble Qur'an. Like this example we should be like merciful dads and like amicable doctors. And Not be ungrateful to God and disbelieve in His Who is to say God won't make you poor after he has made you rich. (As there are many examples of that ). We cannot be certain of God, He is One .

[@OmgEinfachNurOmg]

If you want spread your values and do good for the world, take care of the people who actually WANT to be part of the US, and not let european countries have to deal with the millions of immigrants/refugees.

[@hausner8584]

Poland and Hungary has been working democracy for 20+ years. Even if they have problem now I doesn't prove the idea was wrong. Just that some things got bad down the way. Those countries may not be liberal democracies in 100% right now. But they are reasonable wealthy democracies with free elections. If we would judge by the true liberal democracy standard USA isn't one also. There are also a dozen more democracies around the world that aren't perfect. Should they also be abandon and not encourage? USA shouldn't try to establish democracy by force in countries that have no civil society. But sure as hell they should support young democracies that emerged on their own.

[@brianarmstrong7196]

Everybody bust out the cringe one liners.

[@homewall744]

Because spreading liberty and democracy are done by force? If democracy and free markets are better, they will win across the world on their own. If you must use force to keep down socialism/communism/etc, then they are proving better. As nations must compete, better nations will rise to the top. Of course, if under actual national threat, then we should use force to protect our way of life.

[@haroldrichardson5919]

what this guy isn't letting people know was about democracy's we(U.S.) decide aren't satisfactory to U.S. business interests of the uber wealthy

[@user-sf5iq2fl1l]

EU leads by example, thats why turkey will never ever be part of EU

[@littlesometin]

this sounds like a comedy show, " well-intended effort to spread American values, American institutions into many different corners of the world..." bahahahah

[@vink1954]

"Well intention-ed effort to spread american values", go say that to the Vietnamese, the Iraqis, the Libyans, the Syrians, the...

[@bobjon2282]

What policy?? Trump is serving the best interest of the Trump & Putin brand.

[@nathanpen1031]

Bingo! Get out of the business of these basket cases (do you hear me Senator McCain?)

[@bonecanoe86]

This is why you should never vote for Democrats or RINOs.

[@orb3796]

bonecanoe86 Dude the agressive foreign policy is more so the fault of neo conservatism. Republican presidents always showed strong tendencies towards neo conservatism. Thats not even debatable

[@marcomeme4875]

Are you literally fucking insane?

[@bonecanoe86]

Neocons are liberals who occasionally throw red meat to social conservatives.

[@bobbyharper8710]

Keep in mind the United States is not the ruler of the UN nor NATO.

[@importantname]

Why is this guy talking about facts?

[@JapanAlex01]

Unsubbed instantly when I saw the Koch logo.

[@ryanquinn2683]

Bit of a disappointment here @Big Think. Koch institute? Really?

[@Alvinladen]

Lead by example not by force? tell that to the Antifa and other liberal lunatics.

[@haroldrichardson5919]

& Libya WANTED Kadafi, the insurgents were NOT Libyan (with the exception of a few religious extremists who were let out Libyan prison, as they didnt approve of kadafi giving women equal rights and not having a filthy rich sultan of sorts and lots of poorer plebs

I guess it is possible, maybe even necessary, to make this point in an argumentative way - to explain in a coherent and causally consistent story, how and why these efforts are going to fail. Maybe that will convince some people. I sure hope so. But even in this video, this seemingly reasonable man is not even contemplating the main question: What the fuck is wrong with you, America? Do we really need another #MeToo for countries that have been raped by America's foreign policy in the past? How is it any less obvious, that you just don't force yourself into the affairs of other countries? Even this point could be made with arguments: first and foremost the United Nations Charter. I just don't understand, why this video is beating around the bush concerning state sovereignty.

[@AllanBrunoPetersen]

Understand before commenting or downvoting..

[@BenTheThird]

Just a caveat I think is worth noting: Since the United States has become the lone military superpower on the planet s/p WWII, the planet has experienced a time of peace. This stability has been very good for the global economy and has abetted the greatest increase in the quality of human life in history. Billions of people have lifted themselves out of poverty.

[@johnnybgoodeish]

War is just God's way of teaching Americans geography.

[@turcitox]

johnnybgoodeish savage

[@johnnybgoodeish]

turcitox, no it is the disgusting and endless warfare around the globe, reaping havoc on the defenceless that is savage, and I for one am sick of it.

[@henkburg826]

Well intented nice joke

[@tubester4567]

What do you do when countries are attacking the west, like in Afghanistan, where terrorists have political power?. With Iraq, lets not forget he invaded Kuwait (an ally) he went to war with Iran killing 1.5 million people and he gassed thousands of Kurds. We can point to a few disasters but ignore the millions who live in freedom, protected by the US. Its mainly the Islamic world where these failures occur. I agree its pointless to try to help Islamic countries become democracies, they are too brainwashed by religion to be anti-western, and they prefer religious laws to secular laws.

[@edgeldine3499]

I would say the world should create an anti terrorism task force that works with reasonable people to counter terrorists. the 1st gulf war was a quick kick in the ass of Saddam but we should have left and not build any bases. I don't think the Islamic world is going to change because of the west, it will only change through revolution and interaction from outside peoples remember not all Islamic countries are bad places Indonesia comes to mind.

[@laughingman4402]

tubester4567 How did those terrorist came to power in Afghanistan ? Afghanistan government tried to push for Woman's right which provoked Islamist. Who supported Saddam during Iran Iraq war ?

[@tubester4567]

So because the Afghan government wanted to allow women and girls basic human rights like getting an education, this is enough to make terrorists? Terrorism has been growing all over the world in many countries since the 1970's. They all have different excuses but the ideology is the same. Islamic Supremacism, they want to force their beliefs on others. The victims of Islamic terrorists are all different races and religions, including other Muslims like Sunni/Shia. This is a problem in Islam.

[@laughingman4402]

Yes, but without western support those terrorist would not have ruled Afghanistan. If western coutries have not invaded Iraq. ISIS would not have become a major threat _.Terrorism have been growing since 1970s because western coutries allowed it. They supplied ammunition and trained them._ They grabbed power with western support and then established sharia law. *Muslims who supported secularism and woman right were branded communist and murdered. ( Indonesia mass murder 1965 ).* Secular education was replaced with Saudi funded education which brainwashed childrens to believe Islamic superiority. Once Soviet Union they obviously turned attention int Israel.

[@tubester4567]

I dont agree, Afghanistan was invaded by Russia, and the west helped the Afghans. The Afghans and the Muslim world in general should be happy for the help, instead, after Russia was evicted, they turned to Islamism and fundamentalism and became anti-west. There was no US invasion at this time. That came years later after many attacks from AlQaeda and after 9/11. There are Islamist groups in most Islamic countries, and mainstream Islamic teaching is anti-west, and that goes back to the 1970's Most of the terrorist groups are funded by rich Saudis, most of the radical Islamist teachings come from Saudis, and Saudi Arabia is supposed to be friends with the west. I dont think the US is the problem, I think its the oil rich Middle East using their oil wealth to push a Sunni Islamic agenda around the Middle East and the world. The US shares some responsibility when they support wars against Shia because of Iran, but I dont think they are the main problem. Thats my opinion anyway.