Letters | Why Joe Biden’s America must give up coercive diplomacy
- The Afghan debacle highlights missteps in US foreign policy, illustrating the pitfalls of Washington’s penchant for leaning hard on both rivals and allies to get its way
It is obvious that the US today is using more sticks than carrots in its foreign policy, against not only the so-called failed states, but also its allies. Why does the US, seen as a model democratic country, resort to coercive diplomacy in its foreign affairs?
Coercive diplomacy refers to the use of threats or limited force to coerce an opponent into stopping or changing an action already taken.
It is not news that the US exercises coercive diplomacy. Historically, American actions against Cuba and the Soviet Union during the Cuban missile crisis, against Vietnam during the Vietnam war, and against Iraq during the Gulf War were all examples of coercive diplomacy.
In the old days, coercion was more often used against opponents. However, the Trump administration normalised coercive diplomacy, using threats against so-called hostile countries and allies alike.
At the multilateral level, the US, under the Trump administration, withdrew from various international organisations and multilateral agreements and undermined the international order.