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John F. Kennedy 's Record On Foreign Policy

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Although John F. Kennedy’s record on foreign policy has received mixed reviews because of his all too short presidency, Kennedy’s approach or strategy on how to deal with international issues gave the United States of America options on foreign policy, both then and now. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born to a rich and privileged family who was already a well politically connected family. The Kennedy’s fortune came from the stock market, entertainment, and other business ventures by Joseph “Joe” Kennedy who also served as ambassador to the United Kingdom during the start of World War II; Chairman of both the Security and Exchange Commission and the Federal Maritime Commission. His mother’s, Rose, father, John F. Fitzgerald served as Mayor…show more content…
Senate. Kennedy’s concern for world peace while in both the U.S. Congress and Senate allowed him to travel to many countries. As a member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, Kennedy concentrated on the issues of third world countries. Seeing a need for a new approach to U.S. Presidency, Kennedy ran his presidential campaign as “A New Leader for The 60’s”. He saw that “a durable peace requires vigor and imagination”. This imagination included the need for a dynamic foreign policy. Kennedy did not agree with President Eisenhower’s foreign policy that included Massive Retaliation. Kennedy’s view of the world was not as hard as President Eisenhower. The Cold War tensions were high due to the concern over massive retaliation that included the use of nuclear weapons. Kennedy saw opportunities for diplomacy and alternative military strategies in addition to possible retaliation. Kennedy started a new generation of foreign policy experts who were to come up with optional strategies to going to war. From these experts came Flexible Response. Flexible Response or Flexible Deterrent Options used a wide variety of diplomacy; political; economic and military options to avoid attacks or war with another country. This strategy was first introduced in a book by General Maxwell D. Taylor called The Uncertain Trumpet (1960). Kennedy used Flexible Response as an option to President Eisenhower’s New Look national security policy. Although thought to be an inexpensive
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