Truman Position Paper - Advising President Truman

Christina Faes

Mr. Gower

Am. Foreign Policy

22 February 2011

Advising President Truman

At the conclusion of this awful war, America now stands in a precarious position. There are multiple paths that we can choose, but only one will guarantee both prosperity and stability of America and its allies; this option is Pax American or American Peace. We must come together as a nation and say no to aggressive Soviet ideological expansion. The United States of America holds a responsibility as a superpower in guarantying both free elections and free financial systems to the rest of the world (25). Unfortunately America's intervention came too late to save Europe and every else affected from the terror that Hitler's regime brought upon them, and it would be a humiliation on America's part to take no action against the horrors that Stalinist Communism would bring upon these people.

The option given is the best course of action on many levels; it will protect America's security interests, benefit our allies, and further promote stability in the world. To best protect America's security interests, we must use all means necessary - including military force - to drive the Soviets away from Eastern Europe and compel them to retain the promises made at Yalta and in the UN charter. The Soviet Union will back away from its aggressive behavior rather than risk a confrontation it cannot win if we keep our military forces both conventional and nuclear (26). By, helping the war-ravaged nations of Europe rebuild their economies according to American free-market principles, this strategy will also greatly benefit our Allies. To promote stability in the world, it is imperative that we use both our political and military might to guarantee that all nations have access to the world's markets and resources and that all areas of the world are open to free trade (26).

Historically, Pax Americana ensures only positive outcomes. Hitler taught us that conciliatory action does not achieve lasting peace, but that it only delays the confrontation and causes it to be more costly. Consequently, hostility must be stopped immediately (26). As previously mentioned, the failure of the democratic German Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler were a result of Germany's economic collapse. Encouraging prosperity in Europe is essential to conserve democratic institutions and avoid the establishment of totalitarian regimes that put our goal of peace in danger (26).

A system of free international trade must be ascertained, as limitations on international commerce after World War I caused the Depression and set the stage for World War II (26). Volatility in Europe has so far drawn the United States into war twice this century; to avoid another global conflict,