American Foreign Policy: The Containment of Communism

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the unique threat of international communism before introducing Michael Anton.

We often treat foreign policy as a mystery that can only be understood by an enlightened few who have committed their lives to understanding the complexities of international life. This view is dangerous because it encourages citizens to ignore a critical aspect of American political life that it’s our duty to understand. And it’s false because the basics of foreign policy are commonsense and a joy to learn. For the Founders, the basic premise of foreign policy is simple—we must make every decision with a view towards securing the equal, natural rights of American citizens. This understanding requires that America’s leaders remain accountable to the people, and it places essential limits on our interventions abroad. Yet, for over a century, this traditional understanding of American foreign policy has been challenged by new and more ambitious doctrines that argue for increased American involvement and leadership abroad.

After World War Two, Europe was weakened and America was the only power capable of standing against Soviet communism. We pursued a policy of containment and intervened in smaller nations to stop the spread of communism rather than directly confront the Soviet Union.

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