Which of the Three Traditions Best Explains Us Foreign Policy During the Cold War: Liberal Internationalism, Containment, or Global Meliorism?

"In the 1932 campaign Roosevelt declared "We are not isolationists insofar as we seek to isolate ourselves completely from war"" (McDougall p. 150). After World War II and during the Cold War McDougall talks about how there were three possible foreign policies that were in accordance to the United States' actions against Communism. McDougall talks about Liberal Internationalism, Global Meliorism and Containment and how each was implemented and the consequences of each foreign policy followed. He illustrates the reasons that led to the enactment of each foreign policy and how they effected postwar United States. This paper will talk give a brief background on the three foreign policies and will argue why I believe that Containment was the more prevalent foreign policy put forth by the United States government during the Cold War and war against Communism.

Liberal internationalism is an approach to foreign policy whereby liberal states should intervene in other states so as to pursue liberal aims. This foreign policy encompasses both military intervention and humanitarian intervention. Liberal internationalists believe in the parallel importance of democracy and of an international government. According to this foreign policy international law is what can prevent states from falling into the abyss of chaos and war. Liberal internationalism abides by the concept that a strong international government with international courts and laws followed by all national governments is the best way to avoid war and to decrease the atrocities of war when it does arise. During Wilson's reign as president he favored liberal internationalism and therefore in the United States economic liberalism and political liberalism were prevalent. Economic liberalism meant that restrictions on tariffs were less stringent, free trade was implemented in the United States which helped farmers and wage-workers and limited economic dominance of industrial corporations and free trade abroad also created new markets for US goods. According to the political liberalism doctrine the republican government was superior to autocracy and monarchy. Under liberal internationalism or Wilsonianism militarization or Prussianism was avoided. At the same time arms production was limited and the concept that democracies were more peaceful was widespread.

Through liberal internationalism the United States was successful in eradicating many barriers to trade and communications and thus was able to achieve the level of transnational economy that liberalism promotes. However, when it came to political liberalism, in order to attain peace and security internationally based on its liberal internationalism foreign policy the United States had to promote rebellion against colonialism and imperialism which coincided with Wilson's theory that no government should enforce its law over another. Hence the United States enforcing liberal internationalism stood