It is important to understand the stance taken by President Theodore Roosevelt in the introduction of the Roosevelt Corollary, in the light of the ‘The Monroe Doctrine’ of 1823. The Monroe Doctrine was put forth in the year 1823 by President James Monroe, which called for an end of the European intervention in the American continents in the north and south. This specifically applied to independent governments, not colonies. Roosevelt’s corollary evolved as a misrepresentation to The Monroe Doctrine, in which assertion was made by President Roosevelt with regard to non-interference and non-intervention of the European nation in the countries to the south of the United States.
The assertive approach taken by President Theodore Roosevelt towards Latin America and the Caribbean has been characterized as the “Big Stick”. His policy which evolved as the alteration of The Monroe Doctrine came to be known as the corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. In 1904 the Roosevelt Corollary was presented as a significant amendment to the Monroe Doctrine by President Theodore Roosevelt. The right of the United States was affirmed for intervention in the affairs of smaller states in the Caribbean, Central America, Latin America to provide stability in the economic matters if they failed to pay their international debt. (Ricard).
This policy seemed like a necessary amendment that protected the small states from the European powers which could interfere with the Western Hemisphere for the purpose of collecting debts. The possibility of those nations to enter as earnest investors, and remain as occupying powers was one of the considerations behind the assertion of the Roosevelt Corollary. Roosevelt felt that it was the moral obligation of the United States of America to enforce economic stability and political balance among the nations of Latin America, the Pacific, and Asia. The original intent of The Monroe Doctrine was to keep the European nations out of Latin America, but later on, Roosevelt’s corollary served as the rationalization for the United States to intervene in Latin America.
Theodore Roosevelt’s Corollaries states that the Doctrine obligates the United States to act as the ‘police power’ to “speak softly and carry a big stick” in situations where there is fear of colonial expansion or intervention. Roosevelt addressed the listeners to affirm that the corollary protects interests shared by all humankind for peace and prosperity. This aims to establish the permanence and independence of the smaller states of Europe. The assertion was made in regard to Cuba, Venezuela, and Panama and the mission was to expand the imposition to the Far East and also protect the interest in China. The vision was presented as it empowered the United States to act in self-interest as well as in the interest of the larger humanity.
Roosevelt corollary was implemented under the shadow of the Monroe doctrine and it clearly stated in President Woodrow Wilson’s speech at San Francisco, on September 17, 1919, that “with regard to aggressions upon Western Hemisphere we are at liberty to act without waiting for other nations to act”. The American nation works in harmony with the American adage “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” which implies that the American nation will speak softly and yet build and keep the pitch of the highest training a thoroughly efficient force or Navy to implement economic and political stability in the neighboring areas. Roosevelt Corollary indirectly diverts interest from liberty at home to foreign policy. This leads to increasing military spending and growth. The implementation of the Roosevelt Corollary leads to intervention in foreign policy which aims at short-term stability which is traded for long-term instability. This can be seen in the intervention in the near future of the United States Army and Navy in Iraq, Afghanistan, Latin America, and Pacific and expansive economic outsourcing established in Asia leading to China and India.
Bibliography
Ricard, Serge. “The Roosevelt Corollary.” Presidential Studies 2006 36(1): 17-26.
Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. Web.
Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, 1904. Web.