Photo by Caleb Wright

From Monroe to Trump, Unilateralism

The famous Monroe Doctrine (MD) of 1823, which the peoples of the South know very well, is the first major unilateral declaration by the United States: “America for Americans.” Under its hegemony, the sphere of influence and the right to intervene in this vast region stretching from Mexico to Argentina were established. The Doctrine is the grandmother of the Trump doctrine in its intention to place the sovereignty of this country above that of the region.

The Roosevelt Corollary of 1904: President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) extended Monroe’s doctrine, justifying preemptive military intervention in the region to prevent instability. It is the clearest expression of US interventionism. With this thesis, he invaded Panama and Haiti in our region, and the Philippines in Asia. It could be said that this is the most direct lineage of “peace through strength” prior to Trump.

Truman Doctrine, 1947, and containment: Here, for the first time, unilateralism gives way to multilateralism led by the United States. A system of alliances (NATO) is built and action is taken under the umbrella of international institutions (UN) to contain a rival. It is the opposite of Trump’s approach.

Bush Doctrine (Post-9/11): Preemptive war and the promotion of democracy by force, especially after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the Twin Towers. Similar to Trump in the use of force, but different in its objective; Bush sought to transform regions with nations more to his liking (nation-building); Trump has no interest in pretending to care about other countries.

“Peace through Strength” vs. Multilateral Peacebuilding........

© CounterPunch