Would John McCain Be More of the Same? Posted by David Shorr

Does John McCain's speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council reflect a genuine difference in approach and worldview from the incumbent? I think there is something genuine there that is worth crediting. Much of the speech is basically an acknowledgment that legitimacy matters. He is saying that our policies and posture need to be much more mindful of others' concerns, potential consequences, and international perceptions -- the kind of self-awareness, the absence of which has been the hallmark of current policy.

During the Republican primaries, I thought McCain, alone among the candidates, had a grasp of the 21st Century reality of dispersed power, interdependence, and the fact that the rest of the world doesn't see things the way we do. And I don't think it's a bad thing for the Republican nominee to be talking about those things. In the long run, that could do a lot to deflate, permanently, the neocon fallacy of inherent American rightness. I don't think Sen. McCain's foreign policy credibility is completely a matter of hype and media swoon.

Not completely anyway, because McCain blind spots are no less real. And yes, they mainly have to do with the neocons' crude notions about standing up to enemies and tests of will that dispsense with any real analysis of (thank you DA colleagues) who the enemies really are, what victory or defeat really mean, or the larger strategic context for our choices.

There's also a trade-off between McCain's (no doubt sincere) wish to regain international legitimacy and his insistence that terrorism is the transcending threat we face. Newsflash, the actions we've taken in the name of fighting terrorism and our lack of proportion in expecting everyone else to regard the threat as transcending. If he really wants to win the hearts-and-minds battle, part of that will have to be rebalancing these priorities. Besides, suppose we succeed in warding off this threat, that no terrorist attacks reach the homeland -- suppose we achieve this, and yet global warming worsens, more nations get nuclear weapons, and the global gap between the haves and have-nots keeps widening. What kind of success is that?

Comments

[frieda]

I was there and he was received very well. There were many Democrats on my table and they were pleasantly surprised.

However, one thing that has gone unnoticed is his mentioning "the league of democratic nations". I think that was a direct contrast to UN and a great idea to pursue.

[David Tomlin]

It hasn't gone unnoticed. Matt Yglesias has an excellent post on why it's a very, very bad idea.

Has McCain ever opposed any particular foreign policy action on grounds of insufficient international legitimacy? Record speaks louder than rhetoric.

[Don Bacon]

"I thought McCain, alone among the candidates, had a grasp of the 21st Century reality of dispersed power, interdependence, and the fact that the rest of the world doesn't see things the way we do."

John McCain:
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"We have to strengthen our global alliances as the core of a new global compact -- a League of Democracies -- that can harness the vast influence of the more than one hundred democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests."[i.e. kill the UN]
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"I would institute a policy called 'rogue-state rollback.' I would arm, train, equip, both from without and from within, forces that would eventually overthrow the governments and install free and democratically elected governments."
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"I'm sorry to tell you, there's [sic] going to be other wars. We will never surrender but there will be other wars."
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"You know that old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran?" the Republican presidential candidate said. Then, he sang. "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran."
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"At the end of the day, the final, most serious responsibility of sending young American men and women into harm's way rests with the President of the United States."
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So much for McCain's "grasp." The man is dangerous.

[matt]

I wrote about that last summer after McCain and others kept pushing the idea.

[Don Bacon]

McCain: "[The League of Democracies] could provide unimpeded market access to those who share the values of economic and political freedom, an advantage no state-based system could attain. It could bring concerted pressure to bear on tyrants in Burma or Zimbabwe, with or without Moscow's and Beijing's approval."

The US can't automatically get its way in the UN any longer, as evidenced by the ineffective sanctions imposed on Iran for its fictitious violation of fabricated law. NATO (except Canada, Holland and the UK) has not been receptive to the endless Afghanistan occupation, so a new, compliant "league"(McCain) or "concert" (Slaughter) for future aggression and -- can you believe it? -- economic opportunity from expanded military sales and trade ("market access").

I wonder why McCain hasn't taken notice of the "tyrants" favored by US support in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan etc.? Just an oversight?

The man is dangerous.

[Frieda]

"The man is dangerous."

It can not be more dangerous than Obama...Total unknown

[Don Bacon]

Frieda,
Re: "Total unknown" -- where have you been? Senator Obama has been giving countless speeches during a seemingly endless political campaign and millions of words have been written about him. What else do you need to know? It isn't like the next president will be a Decider, or anything, is it? Cheez, I hope not.

[Frieda]

Don Bacon,
"giving countless speeches" & "millions of words have been written"

Speeches and words sums up his experience.

Exactly my point!

[Don Bacon]

Frieda,
Well, this thread is really about McCain -- so what is it about his experience that impresses you so much? Specifics, please. And do you agree that he's dangerous? Based on what he's said (above) it seems so.

[David Shorr]

All the things that Matt, Ilan, and Michael point out -- the call for Iraqi regime change even with WMD transparency and wider anti-rogue campaign were news to me -- obviously are major strikes against McCain. They are hard to square with 'decent respect for the opinion of mankind,' no question. Yet I still believe that there is a genuine desire to reach out, listen, and moderate. Iraq is the biggest thing and a fundamental obstacle.

On the other hand, I believe McCain is chastened, prudent and not eager for further adventures. I think it's likely that his views are not the same as they were in 2002. 'Bomb Iran' is fair game in the campaign, but it's more tasteless joke than policy preview. I cut my teeth in the nuclear freeze movement as an opponent of the Reagan buildup. I thought his 'bombing starts in five minutes' comment was tasteless, crude, and glib about very serious matters -- but I didn't view it as a sign of an impending US nuclear attack on the USSR.

I'm as critical about the Alliance of Democracies as anyone. Yes, seeking internationanl support only among favored allies, is basically trying to get legitimacy on the cheap. I said as much in this blog in January and June of 2007.

[David Tomlin]

Likening McCain's 'joke' to Reagan's is ridiculous. There was no actual crisis at the time. A closer (imaginary) analogy would be JFK 'joking' about bombing Russia or Cuba during the missile crisis.