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George Bush: Philosophy
After winning the election of 1988, Bush was determined to set his own identity. He wanted to dispel the idea that a Bush presidency would simply mean a third Reagan term. To help drive this home, he attempted to create a cabinet that was uniquely his. One Reagan advisor even commented that holdovers from the old administration were “fired when there was nobody to replace them with.” Not only did Bush overhaul the cabinet, but he also attempted to adjust the nation's foreign policy direction. But beyond adjusting the administration’s stance towards the Soviet Union, Bush remained fairly consistent with what the Reagan had established in his two terms. The principal focus of Reagan’s foreign policy was to act as a check on Soviet aggression and to prevent the spread of communist influence. Bush, on the other hand, actively sought Soviet support against Iraq. Although the marriage was out of necessity, it was still a stance Reagan would have been unlikely to take. Bush even went so far as to look the other way during the Soviet’s invasion of Lithuania to preserve Soviet support in the security council. Later that year, after the war was over, Bush still threw his support behind Gorbachev despite the clues that a Soviet collapse was imminent. Reagan would have almost certainly used whatever steps necessary to bring about the total collapse of “the Evil Empire.” Despite new relations with the doomed Soviet Union, Bush still stuck with many Reagan policies. During the Reagan administration, emphasis was placed in ensuring stability in Central America. One way in which Reagan pursued this end was through exploring ways to remove Noriega from his seat of power in Panama. When he became president, Bush also saw the importance of Central America and sent in US forces to extradite Noriega and ensure the safety of the Canal Zone. In addition, Bush also saw the importance of preserving US interests in the Middle East. Like Reagan, Bush used American military power to protect US concerns in the Middle East, though on a much greater scale. Indeed, both presidents were even criticized for withdrawing too early (Reagan for leaving Lebanon in shambles and Bush for not crushing Iraqi military might and for leaving Saddam Hussein in power). Although the success of the two presidents can be debated, Reagan and Bush both saw the importance of protecting US interests, with force if necessary. |
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