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Article: Benign neglect: cooperation in the Western Hemisphere. (Perspectives on the United States).(Latin America related article: Incursion)
- Article from:
- Harvard International Review
- Article date:
- January 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Harvard International Relations Council, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Governments around the world base foreign policy strategies on their interpretations of US attitudes. They look for both consistencies and changes in the speeches, press conferences, and remarks of senior US officials. The course of international events depends on these attitudes, and the rest of the world knows it. This practice is especially true of Latin American countries, whose governments have followed recent trends in US presidential discourse with some concern.
On August 25, 2000, Republican presidential candidate George Bush proclaimed, "Should I become president, I'll look south, not as an afterthought, but as a fundamental commitment." He assured his ...