Huntsman Calls for New Foreign Policy

Summary:

Jon M. Huntsman Jr., former governor of Utah and Republican candidate for the 2012 elections, has called for the creation of a modernized version of Foreign Policy.  Huntsman made a speech promoting the adoption of a new foreign policy at Southern New Hampshire University the day before the Republican presidential debate.  In his speech he addressed that as a nation we need “more economic engagement with the world” along with “agility” and “intelligence” as opposed to more ships, troops, and weapons that are not likely to make forward progress.  In his speech, Huntsman did not mention names of any Republican contenders but he seems to have been contrasting on Mitt Romney’s foreign policy address in which he delivered last week.  Huntsman calls for a transformation of the policy that will reflect the century we live in today and the new threats in which we are facing as of now.  He claimed that our foreign policy was created based on the “containment of communism” and that it should be modernized so that its basis is off of “expansion” and “engagement” in the world through trade agreements and partnerships.  President Obama has done quite the opposite of this in Huntsman’s words by diminishing “America’s presence on the global stage.”  Due to his former duties as ambassador to China in the Obama administration, Huntsman believes that we need to change our relationship with China from a “transactional” one to one that is infused with shared values rather than just the simple exchange of products and bonds.  Huntsman has struggled to reach the top of the Republican candidates but has seeked to distinguish himself starting with his promotion of credentials for a new foreign policy.

Analysis:

The Foreign Policy of the United States was made to set standards of interaction with foreign nations, Jon Huntsman seeks to remodel the standards within this policy in a way that will coincide better with the 21^st century world.  In the current Republican campaign the domination of economic discussion has allowed us to view the different opinions on foreign policy and its adjustments.  Due to Jon Huntsman running for the position to be president of the United States, by the inherent powers that are given to national government, he has the potential to do what he wants with foreign policy for the most part.  I feel, opposed to Mitt Romney’s ideas of adjustments to foreign policy, Huntsman’s credentials and idea to modernize the policy could be a good thing for the U.S.  A change in the foreign policy by expansion of global engagement could benefit our country, its ideals, and its cry for the end of war.  

Article: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/huntsman-calls-for-new-foreign-policy/?pagemode=print