The McCain Speech

On Wednesday March 26, Senator John McCain delivered a sweeping speech on U.S. foreign policy in front of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. The speech is well worth reading and noteworthy for several reasons:

The American Role
McCain acknowledges that the days of American dominance over world affairs are past; other countries are gaining significant power. He says the United States must remain politically, economically, and militarily strong. "But we must also lead by attracting others to our cause, by demonstrating once again the virtues of freedom and democracy, by defending the rules of international civilized society and by creating the new international institutions necessary to advance the peace and freedoms we cherish," he said.

The War Experience
McCain discusses his personal experience with war from the day his father was swept away into World War II to his own days in Vietnam. "I detest war. It might not be the worst thing to befall human beings, but it is wretched beyond all description," he said. And this blunts one the main charges used against McCain, namely that he is the candidate of "war without end" including another hundred years in Iraq.

Belief in Internationalism
McCain expresses belief in "international good citizenship." He calls for a new Kyoto Treaty, a new partnership among the countries of North and South America, a strong NATO, reorganization of the G-8, and a new Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. He calls for creating, "...a global coalition for peace and freedom - if we lead by shouldering our international responsibilities and pointing the way to a better and safer future for humanity, I believe we will gain tangible benefits as a nation."

Tough on Allies
McCain says the United States has supported "autocrats" for too long, and we need to start supporting democracies. He wants America to rely less on "...the autocratic rulers of Egypt, the generals of Pakistan, the Saudi royal family." He would like to exclude Russia from G-8 and add in Brazil and India.

Difference From Bush Administration
The difference in both tone and substance from the Bush Administration is striking. No president, Republican or Democratic, has ever reframed America's role in the world quite this way. Unlike President Bush, John McCain seems not to think "treaty" is a dirty word. And conservatives have long been loathe to imply that U.S. action in the world is in any way limited by the wishes or advice of other countries.

Conservative Split Highlighted
The GOPUSA blog offered a stinging critique of the speech, "What McCain is saying is that American interests are now up for veto by the collective 'world body' and we must always get permission before action is taken." The blog goes on to say that McCain's views are neither conservative nor Republican. Conservative columnist David Brooks, on the other hand, wrote highly of the speech in his New York Times column, saying McCain "...signaled that the foreign policy debate of the coming months will be very different from the one of the past six years."

Could a Democrat Have Said This?
As I read the speech I saw much that I agree with and much that I think U.S. foreign policy experts of all political stripes would applaud. But my other thought was, how big would the outcry be from conservative media if Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton gave the same speech?