jlewis:No, it is not inconsistent. Ultimately, foreign policy, like domestic policy is governed by and reflects public opinion. We have a large Cuban exile community in this country. That alone guarantees that Washington will respond visibly. With China there is no such pressure group. Besides, we need China--it is our fastest growing trade partner. Cuba? Who needs it?

pizzilfr: There are no winners of wars.....everyone loses.

cmillard: While I have generally approved of President Clinton's handling of foreign policy issues, I feel we are not sending a strong enough message to the Chinese. I think we should revoke their "most favored nation" trading status because of their poor human rights record, as promised, and I think President Clinton should endorse the recent resolution to defend Taiwan against an assault by China. Only by taking a strong stance and sticking to it will we convince the present leaders of China that we mean business.

sodo11: Yes. US has inconsistent foreign policy. I believe the US's foreign policy is still guided by what's called RealPolitiK. It is the type of foreign poicy where by the national interest takes precedence over all other foreign policy options. When one examines the current US reactions towards both Cuba and China from this perspective it becomes crystal clear why the US foreign policy is inconsistent. Consider the following. Cuba is a defiant, an embarrassment to US foreign policy, and militariy, economically and politically a very weak country; therefore, taking the kind of decision the US took in its recent confrontation with that country is perfectly understandable. For all the above stated reasons Cuba isn't going to harm the US's national interest one way or the other. Whether or not the Cuban people suffer in the process is irrelevant from the perspective of RealPolitik. Similarly, if one follows the same logic, one can understand why US's reaction towards China is quite different than the one towards Cuba. The rational behind it is that, since China is strong militarily, economically and politically (because it is a member of the UN security council with a veto power) it won't be in the national interest to take a similar action against China beyond mere intimidation like the current show of force by the US in that region. The chinese know fully that the US won't dare institute a trade embargo againt them; because, given the complex economic and political relationship both countries have developed over the years, both will suffer economically. Ofcourse, the goal of RealPolitik is to avoid any harm done to one's national interest. Hence,a foreign policy of intimidation over substantive action towards China and intimidation and punitive action towards Cuba.

Nward: I think we should be a force that will not under no cercumstances, back down from our word. If force is needed to protect those who need it, we should not hesitate. If China wants war, give it to them in the mouth. Hit em' hard.

Inferno1: No we should not. We have the largest military in the world, and if we aren't planning to rule Earth, then we should not have one at all. We really don't have a use for a large miliitary. We live on a pretty peaceful continent. I mean, are we afraid of something? The only thing our military does is protect our economic interests. We could use NATO for that, since it's not doing anything now. We should get rid of our military, get someone else to play world cop, and use the money to pay off the national debt.

bowler: The US needs to protect its interests in a more forceful and consistent way. The US can only be viewed by the world as weak and indisicive. If the US does not have an interest then it should stay away. A country's self interest, however, can be more loosely defined than it has been. Interest can include building up relations with other countries by helping them with military crises. In Cuba US planes were shot down. The US only has a certain amount of options in this case. The planes were in Cuba's eyes interfering with Cuba's internal affairs. They were of course on a humanitarian mission. It seems that the world community is responsible to punish Cuba through santions or military action. Often by default the US ends up carrying out the military end of world actions. The US needs the cooperation and participation of the world in order to give their actions the weight of world opinion. Our interest in Taiwan's current crisis is twofold. The US has always been very proactive in issues of human rights. Taiwan will clearly be in danger of loosing their human rights if China can conquer it. China is threatening Taiwan with military action. This shows that Taiwan has reason to remain free and China will go to any length to annex Taiwan. The US has a thriving trade with Taiwan that it should protect. The second reason is that as other members have said China is a communist country trying to take over a democratic country. This is the classic cold war scenario. A few years back there would be no question of the US reaction. While the Cold War is over the US still has a responsibility to protect the democracy it spread through the world. Many countries aligned themselves with the West during the Cold War and they cannot now be abandoned. China's saber rattling off the coast of Taiwan should represent the Colonialistic and Imperialistic actions that the world community has always despised.

niddala: American "foreign policy" has become a euphamistic term for American imperialism It seems like we have to stick our noses into everyone else's business. Cuba and China are the last big "Enemies" of the Cold War era. We're still fighting Communism.... Why?!

geah: American foreign policy is really need a serious facelift. The recent Cuban and Chinese incidents are but two examples of the inconsistency of foreign policy. China is treated with kid gloves and given all kinds of economic incentives as a means of nudging it in the right direction. Cuba is impoverished with sanctions. It kind of reminds me of the kinds of sanctions which the US imposed on South Africa during the 1980's. In the end the sanctions hurt the very ones it were intended to help, namely the oppressed while those who held the reigns of political and economic power could insulate themselves. Let us not kid ourselves that the recent changes in South Africa were due to this misguided policy.

gbknox: Uncle Sam can't seem to get over that "better dead than red" mentality. And we thought England was Imperialistic, whew, you guys are putting them to shame. Weird pattern has developed though, lots of killing all over the world, bankrolled by American greenbacks, but no Americans getting killed. What's the f***ing point of all this people? Concerned neighbour from the north.

miles: Sometimes I wonder if these conflicts are not created to sell more planes and guns. Sometimes I wonder if the US just likes to push its weight around.

UltraHF: The Cuba incident was a direct result of the Anti-Castro groups flying into another countries air space, repeatedly...Of course we can not agree with Castro's decision to shoot down unarmed planes, but taking appropriate actions within international law is fine...This has hurt the Anti-Castro movement more than helped, because now we are again not talking to Cuba or opening up the Cuban Iron Curtain to let some ideas of freedom and free speech in, that is the way the Cuban people will revolt against Castro...not by our sanctions or the meddling of Anti-Castro groups... As far as Taiwan goes, I think the president should be even firmer, placing our Carrier Battle Groups right in the Straits of Taiwan, this is an old game for Mainland China and they think they can pull a fast one. We should have never given them a seat on the UN Security Council or recognized them as the goverment of China. The people of Taiwan were the ones overrun by communist...and are still the rightful legal goverment of China. I say let the Chinese Communist try to fire missles at our ships. They will see what a Carrier Battle Group can do to there little Navy...The Taiwan goverment has always been a friend of the U.S. and you can not say that of Chairman Mao or his followers. We should condem communist countries not endorse them.

orbot: Can anyone comment on the amazing density of the calculators of votes in the Congress and WhiteHouse.Gov who are generating these policies? Maybe they're not lying to us and the paranoia du jour is just leftovers from the Nixon Era. Maybe Bill Clinton is doing a very good job and things are going as well as can be done? At least consider the reasons he gives. Every day, spokespeople carefully outline for us the reasons for their actions. Every day we ignore them. How about some trust of government. I'm sick of the childish frightened ranting of uninformed and uninformable commentators. Read a little online, and then comment!

JeremyD: Yes, I am strongly for both. We must protect all US interests at home and abroad. Ever since WWII the US has basically been the international police force. If we did not want this then we should not have taken the job at the end of the war. The only way that this fact will change in the world eyes is if we outright loose a war and I don't see that happening any time soon.

Bramson: I believe that the recent sanction are the highly political manuevers of both President Clinton and the congressional members who created the bill which the president signed. U.S. foriegn policy towards Cuba has for decades been confrontational and extremly unproductive. The way to create real change in Cuba is not to through sanctions which punish the Cuban population but through investment and encouragement to open its borders and markets. Castro uses our policies to legitimize his regime and we feed his fire for short term domestic and political gain. I do, however, believe that the president's reaction in the Taiwan strait is justifiable and sends the best message to China and the world possible. Taiwanese people have elected and chosen their goverment. We should not allow China the freedom to threaten any state in the region. China's claim over Tiawan is controversal at best, U.S. intervention and show of force is crucial to stability in the area.

boswell: Inconsistent? Bill "Master of Stability" Clinton is our Foreign Policy Head, isn't he? Actually, I agree with both of Bill's decisions (even though this is disturbing precedent.) Cuba shot down 2 plains who repeatedly violated Cuban sovereignty. They were deliberately trying to provoke an international incident with Cuba and deserved to get shot down. China's claim that Taiwan is a part of China is about as bogus as Vladimir Zhirinovski's (sp?) claim to Alaska! China was getting greedy. Taiwan is China's biggest investor. Some bright individual in the Chineese government said, "He, you know if we just go over there and take them over, we get all their investment money." I think all of this new influx of money has gotten to their heads. Don't forget, next year is 1997 and they get Hong Kong back too. They just don't have to shoot anyone for Hong Kong.

Emma: As Anthony Hopkins says in Oliver Stone's "Nixon," the system is like a wild animal. The American system will always skew foreign policy, especially in an election year. The only way to ensure that foreign policy is consistent and fair is to go through the United Nations, or whatever international body is most appropriate. If there is no international body, then what business does America have enforcing an international law or international sense of what is right. International policy is the same as national policy -- it only has a chance of treating individuals equally and fairly when there is a fair method of enforcement. America being its own rock is not a fair method of enforcement. In the short run and in a few cases, perhaps it is, but not in the long run or overall picture.

eddyf: America has always butted in where it was not wanted. These action are just an extention of the monroe doctrine and other jingoistic american policies.

Kat: I think the fact that we have put sanctions on the Cubans is mostly because of the upcoming presidental campaign. Bill Clinton knows there are a number of anti-Castro Cubans in South Florida and by placing sanctions on the country, he is attracting those voters. I think as Americans we should look at what is best for the country, but also, not just use our politicans input, but the input of the population of Cuba. How are we to know their feelings about Castro or the country without asking them? I think that assuming anything is very dangerous. I can't really comment on the issue in Taiwan because I haven't stayed updated on the situation, but all Americans should know that our government and the CIA has always been inconsistent with their foreign policy in cases with Vietnam, Africa, etc. Anywhere American interests are threatened, our government goes in and throughs their weight around, either through the UN or the CIA. It seems that throughout history, there has not been one case in which we have looked at the interests or even human rights of the inhabitants of these countries.

Mike369: US has no business in the Taiwan Straits. Taiwan belongs to China, and this is China's internal problem. The current issue was created by the US when you first granted Lee Teng Hui a visa. US should not provoke China or anyone else.