At a well-attended seminar Wednesday night entitled “Bush vs. Kerry: Beyond Iraq,” four Wesleyan professors discussed how the war in Iraq and the war on terror have diverted attention away from other pressing foreign policy concerns.
Jacob Goldin ’06 moderated the panel of professors, which included professor of government Peter Rutland, assistant professor of government Mary Alice Haddad, assistant professor of government Sarah Wiliarty and assistant professor of history Erick Grimmer-Solem.
Overall, the panelists were critical of both candidates for talking around the issues and not taking enough decisive positions.
Haddad noted in her opening remarks that when the subject of North Korea surfaced in the presidential debate, the argument centered on the question of bilateral versus multilateral talks with Kim Jong Il, the leader of North Korea. Instead, Haddad argued that we should be more concerned with the manner in which these talks are conducted and to what degree sanctions or censure are imposed than with the preliminary question of how many parties would be involved.
Haddad also noted that North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons is more likely a bargaining chip than a direct threat to national security.
Sarah Wiliarty opened her presentation by saying that Iraq encompasses the majority of United States-European relations right now. According to Williarty, internal European conflicts have surfaced on the Iraq issue as Britain and other EU countries continue to support the United States while France and Germany lead those countries that criticize the war.
Wiliarty said that a Bush re-election would mean more of the same for the United States-European dynamic. A Kerry administration, however, could reach out to European countries to help rebuild Iraq, a strategy that may push France and Germany to send supplies or troops to Iraq despite domestic opposition.
Grimmer-Solem said that the United Nations is the only means for legitimate relationships between nations.
“The blessing of the UN would have provided legitimacy for the war in Iraq,” Grimmer-Solem said.
Haddad said the United Nations is at stake in this election, since he believes Kerry will likely appeal to the United Nations for help in Iraq if he is elected president.
Grimmer-Solem posited that much of the current anti-Americanism in Europe is tied to negative sentiment toward President Bush. He wondered whether it is possible for America to sink any lower in terms of world popularity. But none of the panel members suggested that a change in leadership would lead to a dramatic change of our current foreign policy.
Rutland was disappointed with each candidate’s position on foreign policy.
“I don’t see a cigarette paper in between Bush and Kerry on foreign policy. They are both locked into doomed policy,” Rutland said.
Wiliarty doubted Kerry’s claims that he could withdraw troops from Iraq in the timeframe of six months.
“He could maybe take ten troops out in six months, but otherwise it’s an unrealistic goal,” Williarty said.
The forum ended with questions from students concerned not only with what the panelists discussed, but also new topics including the global AIDS crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Diplomat, a student group that discusses foreign policy issues and publishes a journal of student writings on international affairs two to three times a semester, organized the event.
“I was surprised at how many people were asking questions,” said Mark Paruser ’08 who attended the forum and is also a member of The Diplomat. “Sometimes at Wesleyan at a lecture not many people ask questions, but I think last night showed that a lot of students are really curious about international relations/foreign policy.”
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