The Good-Neighbor Policy

The Good Neighbor Policy

On March 3, 1947, President Truman had given a speech, in Mexico City, Mexico, concerning a few western ideals. These ideals; independence, nationalism, freedom, democracy and human dignity are all of which the western world, particularly the United States, had promised to uphold to developing countries throughout the world. It could be said that throughout history the United States has betrayed these promises.
Considering the good neighbor policy, as defined in the speech given by President Truman on March 3, 1947, it could be said that the United States has imposed its ideals on developing countries that in some way could be beneficial to her, as the cases of Iran and Guatemala in the 1950s and Chile in the 1970s illustrate.
In President Truman’s own words “The good neighbor policy guides the course of our inter-American relations....It is the application of democracy to international affairs. It is the application of the Golden Rule”. The characteristics of any self-respecting individual within a democratic society sets the standard for which the good neighbor policy should apply to international relations. All nations are to have a mutual respect for one another. This as President Truman says is “An expression of that bond of common belief we call democracy” and “It is the only road into the future that will lead us to our goal of universal peace and security”.
Included in the good neighbor policy is the Doctrine of Nonintervention, which is to assure each nation the freedom to develop as they wish. “In 1933, at the Conference of Montevideo, and 1936, at the Conference of Buenos Aires the United States pledged to observe the Doctrine of Nonintervention, to prevent a stronger nation from imposing its will on a smaller, weaker nation” stated President Truman. The United States had ‘promised’ to remain faithful to the spirit of the law.
In the midst of the 1952 United States presidential election, Britain was facing its own...