U.S. policy shift predicted

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33875, 21 June 1975, Page 13

U.S. policy shift predicted

Future United States foreign policy will be based more on political persuasion and economic aid rather than military power, according to a visiting American political scientist (Dr N. Lebow). He told a meeting of the Christchurch branch of the

New Zealand Institute o. International Affairs on Thursday that American policy makers would also be controlled far more by the Congress and the people. He said the time had ended when an American president could explain on national television his solution to a problem with a particular foreign country and, by the next day, have the support of the majority of the people.

many of whom probably had 1 never before heard of thecountry in question. “The days of ‘My fellow I Americans . . .” are over,” said Dr Lebow. “They ended! (with the credibility gap (which widened under Presi-( (dents Johnson and Nixon, i “They ended especially with Watergate, which started as a crack in the credibility gap and ended up wide enough to drive a 10-! ton truck through.” The collapse of the South ( : Vietnamese and Khmer; regimes had caused an urgent j revision of American foreign! policy. It had also taught the: United States some humility.! The cherished American idea' that all problems could be( solved provided there was: sufficient money and power! :had been shown to be false. | (“Americans have suffered a (blow to their egos which, I hope, will make them more sophisticated, more cautious and more realistic in their foreign policy,” said Dr States had regarded itself as Lebow. He did not think the United States’ foreign policy objectives would change much, but the manner of pursuing them would. In the past, the United

(somewhat of a global policeman. This would change, with more emphasis on fostering world stability through political balance, although this did not mean the United States would not honour its military commitments to its allies. There would be a shift ■ from military to economic and humanitarian aid, and 'this aid would be more ■losely scruitinised by Congress.