Have you, like me, had enough talk about realism and liberalism in US foreign policy? NO! You haven’t?! Wow, you guys are dedicated to the IR cause! I’ll give you only a mild break then, by just providing you with several stories and pieces that tackle or showcase various facets of the classic IR debate:

• China-US Naval Standoff - For those who think great power war is just a thing of the past and for those who forget how foreign policy crises can shape a presidency, the thankfully mild standoff between a US surveillance ship and a small Chinese naval fleet, is a stark reminder. I encourage you to read about this incident as it is intriguing in many ways and even includes Chinese guys in their underwear. If the incident, which showcases the US global reach and the Chinese attempting to further their own ‘sphere of influence’ in the Pacific, escalates in anyway, I’ll do a larger post.
• The Geopolitics of Tibet – Dan Twining of Shadow Government provides an interesting analysis, with useful historical background, of a possibly brewing conflict between India-China over Tibet’s autonomy. It is important to know that parts of Tibet are located in India, the Tibetan exile government is located there, and China and India fought a war over border territory there in 1962, which is still unresolved.
• Turkey’s Diplomatic Power – My placement of Turkey in GPP’s Power Rankings garnered quite a bit of debate, with GPP contributor Hubbel Relat offering some criticism. One of main reasons behind putting Turkey on the list was their strong influence in several key geopolitical issues, specifically Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Iran, and the EU. Foreign Policy Association’s Christopher Herbert details some of Ankara’s recent diplomatic maneuvers on their Rising Powers blog. Also of note was Sec of State Hilary Clinton’s ‘friendly’ stopover in Turkey during her Middle East trip.
• US Soft Power in Asia is Strong! – David Kampf on the same FPA Rising Powers blog writes about the findings from a poll showing that the US remains the supreme cultural and diplomatic power in the region, much to Beijing’s consternation.
• Sovereignty Under Attack? – Former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolten wrote a serious piece criticizing those who argue that the United States need to have a ‘shared sovereignty’, in that we should further connect ourselves to international institutions, much like the EU. Bolton sees this as a dangerous idea that would undermine the rights and choices of American citizens. Here is his conclusion:

“Sharing” sovereignty with someone or something else is thus not abstract for Americans. Doing so by definition will diminish the sovereign power of the American people over their government and their own lives, the very purpose for which the Constitution was written. This is something Americans have been reluctant to do.

• Obama Taking On Too Much? – William Galston at The New Republic advises Mr. Obama to focus and tighten his foreign policy ambitions, worrying that he might be taken too much on too soon.

Since there’s some heavy stuff in there, how ’bout I end on an upbeat note: Have any of you heard of the conflict between Fritolaysia and Snakistan?

Tags: Bush, Chinese Navy, John Bolton, Obama, soft power, sovereignty, Tibet, Turkey, United Nations, US navy