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Presidential doctrines are Orwellian in nature. On the surface, they are attempts to display America's resolve and strength. In reality, they simply call attention to our growing weakness.
It all started with the Carter Doctine, which declared that we would use force to protect our interests (oil) in the Persian Gulf.
Historically, we have been a nation of Yankee traders who have had no trouble cementing a sharp deal. The Carter Doctrine was a tacit admission that we'd lost that talent.
Now we are bogged down in two resource wars that are expected to cost taxpayers close to a trillion dollars, when it would have been so much cheaper, and burned much less fuel, to fly a trade delegation over there to cut the best deal they could.
Next, came the Clinton Doctrine which said we would use force to protect our interests and keep our markets open any place in the world since, according to Clinton, the world was now our "national interest".
From this,it appeared that we'd lost the art of diplomacy. Actually, it was just part of a movement in this country towards greater efficiency. Tanks are more efficient than talk any day. They save time, and time is money, even thoug we spend more money on the tanks then we do on talk. But, who's keeping score?
Finally we have the Bush II Doctrine that states we'll attack anybody we want, whether or not we have a reason to.
With this doctrine, we have become like an aging linebacker who decides that since he's too old to blitz the quaterback, he'll shoot him.
It's more efficient that way.
