Modern Day Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine had a major impact on US foreign policy for decades and, in some ways, still impacting the US. One article that discusses an important current issue in US foreign policy is from the Washington Post about the nuclear weapon threat in Iran.

For the past decade, Iran has supposedly been developing a nuclear weapon. There have only been talks that they have been developing a nuclear weapon. There is no substantial evidence to prove that this is true but the world and the US are still worried. They could use this as a threat or sell it in the black market to enemies of the US or terrorists.

There are few options that the US could choose from to do about this issue if it was following the three lasting principles of the Monroe Doctrine: 1. Separate spheres of influence 2. Non-colonization 3. Non-intervention. The US has to wait until it is proven that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and then they have to wait until Iran invades the Western Hemisphere, and then they have to wait until they threaten us directly, and then they can take action. By this time, there are very few options but to invade wherever the Iranian army is and destroy their weapons. Also, by this time, the nuclear weapon will probably be in the possession of many other countries and organizations and then the US has to wait until they invade and then threaten in order to take action.

The Monroe Doctrine is still used in some ways today. There are many different issues in US foreign policy. One of them includes the talking of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. If the US is following the three lasting principles of the Monroe Doctrine then they don't have many options. They must wait for Iran to go through many steps and then they can take action, but by that time the weapon will most likely have already spread. Parts of the Monroe Doctrine are useful and necessary for current issues in US foreign policy, but most of them will only hurt us.

 "A Nuclear Deal with Iran Will Require the West to Reevaluate Its Presumptions." Washington Post. The Washington Post. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. . 

The Power of the Past

The past shapes the future, with every event, belief, and action making history in time. The Brazilian revolution was one of the only revolutions to have no war, physical fighting, or bloodshed. It all started with the Portugese monarchy. They were in Portugal until Napoleon conquered it in 1807, but the Portugese monarchy fled to Brazil before he conquered it. In 1815, Napoleon was defeated and the Portugese monarchy could return to Portugal, but they didn't. Also in 1815, King John VI made Brazil a kingdom which upset and angered many brazilian citizens. In 1821, King John VI was forced to return to Portugal by the Brazilian army but Prince Pedro stayed as the prince regent. In 1822, Prince Pedro declared Brazil's independence. In 1825,  Portugal reconized Brazil's independence. In 1831, Prince Pedro abdicated the Brazilian throne and returned to Portugal, leaving the throne to a team of advisors who ruled for the five year old Pedro II. The Brazilian revolution was a revolt of race. The Brazilian people felt as though Prince Pedro was still a Portugese ruler and he was not Brazilian. They turned on him because he was not Brazilian. They felt that they were not independent because Pedro, their ruler, was not the same race as them but that of their mother countryadn they felt that they were still a colony of Portugal and that Portugal thought that Brazil was less then them.

Lately in America, there has been breaking news about the racial issue in Fergurson, Mossouri. The New York Times' article "What Happened in Ferguson?" explains in detail what happened on the night of the event, showing pictures, evidence, and diagrams. A young man by the name of Michael Brown was shot by Fergurson police officer Darren Wilson. Michael Brown was of African-American descent. Fergerson police officer Darren Wilson was caucasion. The shooting has caught a lot of attention because some people believe that Michael Brown was shot because he was black and that police officers are racist against black people. Many people in Ferguson and across the country have been taking violent action to express their beliefs about the event. I do believe that race affects national identity, politics, and almost every single thing that we do each and every day. It will continue to affect our nation until those steriotypes and false statements are broken by having the people who they are accused against prove that it is not just a small percentage of their population that it is false for, but that it is their whole population that it is false for, and they must make it false. I believe that people have the right to believe that Michael Brown was innocent but they can take action peacefully. They do not have the right to take violent action and vandalize this country by using "taking action" as an excuse. If they want to do something about it, then make sure that there is no racism in the police forces. Have more African-American people become police officers to stop racism instead of terrorizing this country. Race will always affect our nation until people show that they are not a stereotype, but they are themsleves. They must not conform to these stereotyopes, but prove that they are not true.

"What Happened in Ferguson?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/ferguson-missouri-town-under-siege-after-police-shooting.html?_r=0>.