Bending History Barack Obama's Foreign Policy - Brookings FOCUS Book Author:Martin S. Indyk, Kenneth G. Lieberthal, Michael E. O'Hanlon How well has President Barack Obama carried out his duties as commander in chief, top diplomat, and grand strategist? Despite having won election to a second White House term, he still has not been able to change the toxic climate of Washington. Economic difficulties dominated the early years of his presidency, but history's verdict on his presi... more »dency will likely hinge as much on foreign policy. In Bending History, a trio of renowned foreign policy experts illuminates the grand promise and the great contradictions of a leader who has captured the attention and imagination of citizens around the world like few of his White House predecessors.Conflicting caricatures of Obama miss the mark. Contrary to what many on the Right believe, he is not a naïve apologist trying to quash American "exceptionalism." And while some on the Left look to him as a transformational political figure, others believe he is an accommodationist lacking the nerve to end the excesses of George Bush's antiterror policies. Not surprisingly, Obama is substantially more complicated and nuanced than any of these images allows. Bending History argues that Obama thus far has, above all, been a foreign-policy pragmatist, tackling one issue at a time in a thoughtful way. On balance he has been competent and solid, choosing reasonable policies (or least-worst options, at least) with an approach typified by thoroughness, reasonably good teamwork, and flexibility when needed.« less
ISBN-13: 9780815724476 ISBN-10: 0815724470 Publication Date: 3/29/2013 Pages:342 Edition:revised with a new p Rating: