11th June American historian Walter Russell Mead, a Henry A. Kissinger fellow for American foreign policy at Council of Foreign Affairs in NY, gave a lecture at CAST/Centre for Advanced Security Theory at University of Copenhagen.Where he also gave an interview. One of the points was that an American president had more or less four strings to play in exercising American foreign policy:
- The Hamiltonian - Goal: to develop world trade and commercialize countries
- Based on Alexander Hamilton. The initiator of the American Constitution under first US president George Washington.
- The Wilsonian - Goal: to change the world and to develop democracies worldwide
- Based on Woodrow Wilson. US president 1913-21 and initiator of the UN forerunner, Leage of Nations.
- The Jeffersonian - Goal: to ignore the world and to ensure freedom/security at home
- Based on Thomas Jefferson. The architect behind the Declaration of Independence and third US president.
- The Jacksonian - Goal: to protect American interests by force if necessary
- Based on Andrew Jackson. Seventh US president, American General who drove native Americans to the West.
"Obama's approaches in foreign policy are deeply rooted in these four schools. If you read his speeches with these four schools in mind, you'll find that he is something of a violinist. And although he seems to hit the Jacksonian string less - he does hit it," Walter Russell Mead claims.
His point being that any given president will change his role during a presidency, based on circumstances. From the universally open role to the realistic-cynical role when the United States is threatened. Even Obama, if faced with threats to mainland USA or the Americans.
"Suppose the Iranians respond to his ouvertures and it all goes very nicely, we would get one kind of approach. But if they keep testing missils and get closer to a bomb, we could see another approach. And it's interesting that every time he's asked, Obama says, 'I don't take options off the table'. Unlike Bush, he doesn't go around saying it all the time, but if you ask him, that is what he will tell you," Mead stresses. Paradox: Different package - same contents.