It has been a rough year in the newspaper headlines for the U.S. and President Obama in terms foreign policy. Cooperation between the U.S. and Russian to reach peace in Syria has fallen apart to the point that Russia has now installed anti-aircraft missile defense systems in order to threaten U.S. aircraft. There are also allegations by the U.S. government that Russia is meddling in the U.S. Presidential election. In the Middle East, Turkey has increased its criticism of the U.S. as a result of a coup attempt and has proceeded to bomb U.S. Kurdish allies engaged in fighting with ISIS. Iran has increased its support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria in clear defiance of American and Western wishes. In East Asia, China has escalated the level of militarization of the disputed artificial islands in the South China Sea. North Korea has resumed nuclear weapons testing and repeatedly threatened the use of force in response to U.S. and South Korean actions. President Duarte of the Philippines has openly criticized and insulted both the U.S., and President Obama and his officials publicly while simultaneously announcing his intent to break the long standing friendship between the two nations.
All of that is happening as China, Russia, North Korea, Turkey and the Philippines have begun to talk about stronger military ties. Whomever ends up as president of the U.S. will face a much more hostile world than his predecessor. Despite its military and technological advantage, America should consider wielding its economic muscle in a much more aggressive manor. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown the limits of military power and have probably emboldened foreign nations to challenge a battle weary America openly. This is why economic ties to entire regions are important. Having the ability to affect a nations ability wage war and finance proxy wars is an essential tool in avoiding first hand conflict. Free trade agreements are of concern to aspiring world powers. When news that the TPP agreement had been concluded, many in China grew concerned. Many Chinese saw it as a move aimed to push China to play nicer with the international community. It felt the pressure. Russia is currently hurting economically due to oil prices and economic sanctions from the West. The Philippines receive both military and economic aid from the U.S.; America could use that along with it’s economic influence in the region to help cool the rhetoric coming from their president.
Many have grown heavily critical of President Obama’s “passive” nature and foreign policy. They believe that he should have used military intervention in Libya sooner and other areas. Perhaps Obama saw no endgame to such actions, but instead saw ways to influence foreign powers through a stronger economic presence throughout the world. That by leveraging economic ties and influence with large regional powers, it can wield foreign policy by proxy. Putting economic pressure on regional powers to wield their own influence create stability in the world. It’s time the U.S. take a more aggressive economic stand against Russia.