Joe Biden

Name: The Purpose of American Power
Author: Joe Biden

The Purpose of American Power (2005)

Summary

“The Purpose of American Power”, published in 2005, is a work by Joe Biden. It explores elements such as threats, democracy and weapons of mass destruction.

Quotes from The Purpose of American Power (Joe Biden)

Joe Biden, The Purpose of American Power (2005)

“ There have always been poor countries whose people suffer under corrupt, incompetent, and ruthlessly barbaric dictators.
What is new is the effect on our lives and the threat to our own security as a consequence of such regimes.
Today, the potential spread of weapons of mass destruction, make the threat literally existential. We must challenge ourselves and our allies to refocus our attention, reallocate our resources, and reform our institutions to address this challenge. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Joe Biden, The Purpose of American Power (2005)

“ Most of the threats we face — from radical Islamic fundamentalism to the spread of weapons of mass destruction — to rogue states that flout the rules — have no respect for borders.
For all of the power you in this room represent, not one of those threats can be met solely with unilateral military force.
Even when we can succeed by ourselves, there are compelling reasons not to act alone — from basing rights to burden-sharing to the benefits of legitimacy.
Iraq demonstrates the price we pay for a unilateralist foreign policy. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Joe Biden, The Purpose of American Power (2005)

“ But if America commits to a policy of prevention, not preemption, we need our allies to rethink their approach to the use of force.
First, it must be clear that America’s military will remain second to none and that force will be used — without asking anyone’s permission — when circumstances warrant.
But beyond that, we need a common understanding with our allies in Europe and Asia that every citizen of the free world faces a nexus of new threats — terrorism, rogue states, and weapons that demand a new response. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Joe Biden, The Purpose of American Power (2005)

“ For better and sometimes worse, Washington is the nation’s lighthouse when it comes to setting our foreign policy course.
What I want to do today is illuminate the main challenges I believe we face, and then to suggest some course corrections we need to make to meet those challenges.
In my judgment, America faces two overriding national security challenges in this new century.
We must win the struggle between freedom and radical fundamentalism. And we must keep the world’s most dangerous weapons away from its most dangerous people. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Joe Biden, The Purpose of American Power (2005)

“ America must support the forces of progress in non- democratic countries — not with reckless campaigns to impose democracy by force from the outside — but by working with modernizers from the inside to build the institutions of democracy, over the long haul. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Joe Biden, The Purpose of American Power (2005)

“ But here’s an important caveat that our friends in Europe, Asia and beyond must take to heart if we are to succeed.
The credibility and effectiveness of alliances, treaties, and international organizations depend on a willingness not only to live by the rules, but to enforce them. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Joe Biden, The Purpose of American Power (2005)

“ And clearly, a world full of liberal democracies would not only be better for the people living in those countries. It would be better for us because liberal democracies tend not to attack each other, abuse the rights of their own people or breed terrorists. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Joe Biden, The Purpose of American Power (2005)

“ But they do not suffice when the enemy is a stateless actor with no territory or people to defend... who is amassing stealthy weapons instead of visible armies.
That’s why a broad prevention strategy is so important. But its is also why our allies – and for that matter the other major powers on the U.N. Security Council — must be willing to get much tougher with rogue states who harbor terrorists, seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction, or pose a proliferation risk. ”

Joe Biden

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Quotes from The Purpose of American Power (Joe Biden)

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