The Bush Doctrine - A Study On The New U.s. Imperial Strategy

Starting from the day on which several terrorists attacked the symbolic buildings in New York city and Washington D.C. by using the hijacked passengers' planes and killed thousands of lives, the George W. Bush administration has made outstanding changes in terms of American national strategies, which is called the Bush doctrine in this dissertation. The dissertation aims at revealing the influence on the foreign policy principles and activities of the first Bush administration by the combination between the long-existing imperial theory in the international politics and the neo-conservatism which generated from the 1960s as a political thought. Meanwhile, a series of polices and their implementations, labeled as the Bush doctrine, are characterized by thick imperial attributes.The logic of the Bush doctrine is the U.S. should actively use its predominate military and other power to change the current chaotic and dangerous international order so as to make a kind of order which is complying with the US preference, reflect the US interests, and serve the US national security. The reason why such logic can develop so maturely is 9/11 changed the US policy makers' judgments on the threats the U.S. faces and the means to deal them. Since 9/11, anti-terrorism became the most urgent task in the US national security. The first Bush administration formulated a series of anti-terrorism policy which are much more comprehensive and stricter than his processors. What is worthy of more attention is, on the base of the new realization on the root of terrorism, the Bush administration publicly encourage the regime change and nation building as a tool to eradicate the root of the terrorism. Another new way to deal with the new threats is the preemptive/preventive wars. Although this concept basically violates the international laws and UN charters and will damage the international peace and prosperity, the Bush administration attacked Iraq preemptively without asking for the UN's permission and the most countries' supports. By looking into the process of Iraq War, we can see the present US administration resolutely safeguard and expand the US interests with the help of its overwhelming power from the narrow view of national interests unilaterally.Undoubtedly, the Bush doctrine affects the current international system greatly. It challenges the position of international laws and UN, rebuilds the countries relations to some extend, as well as change the international order. However, with the development of Iraqi situations, the US internal political and economic changes, and...