Good Neighbor Policy

The United States Becomes a Good Neighbor “Franklin Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy was a more ethical, moral, respectful, and neighborly approach to international relations than that of his predecessors.” This is exactly what U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted his new foreign policy of 1933 to be. The Good Neighbor policy was the United State’s new foreign policy, stating that they were to no longer intervene militarily in other countries; they would no longer imperialize the world, and instead were to become “good neighbors” to the other countries. The Good Neighbor policy sounds like a great idea, but when one comes to think of it, why would they need to patch up things? Something, or in this case many things, led to the creation of the Good Neighbor Policy which was long overdue. It’s the first impression that will either open a door or close it, even though things are never as they seem. The United States, at first, seemed as if they wanted
to help the Western Hemisphere by expelling all Europeans from it with the Monroe Doctrine, but once again, things are never as they seem. As time went on and policies were formed, the United States’ true colors began to show. At first they wanted to banish all European powers from their spheres of influence in the Americas, which appeared to be a good idea to the other American countries. When this was done, another imperial power started to rise. It was now the United States that had many spheres of influence, but they were even worse. They had the idea that they were to “master” the “inferior races” and expand territorially and culturally. Uncle Sam’s nation wanted to dominate the world, and for a while they did. Soon enough, things came crashing down. The Roosevelt Corollary, the Big Stick Policy, the Dollar Diplomacy and the Gunboat Diplomacy, just to name a few, were huge factors in the development of the other nations’ hatred towards the United States. Their constant interventions in different countries, the right to intervene in Puerto Rico, the massive intervention in Panama, they all led to abhorrence. The United States had gained many enemies and was always seen as the bad neighbor. Finally, someone realized this and was wise enough to do something about it. This man was Franklin Roosevelt, elected in 1932 as the president of the United States. FDR realized something had to be done, and he was the one to make it happen. In his inaugural speech on March 1933 he said “I would dedicate this nation to the policy of the good neighbor—the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others” , and this is how the Good Neighbor Policy was born. The United States needed it in order to keep their sovereignty and their overall harmonious existence. With the establishment of the Good Neighbor policy came many new and great things.
The Great Depression was taking place, but the Good Neighbor policy forced the US to open its markets to other countries, therefore causing a boom in the trade all over the western hemisphere. This led to a new and much desired economic stability. This great policy also put an end to the United States’ military interventions; they were no longer to meddle in other countries affairs, especially because as it was seen in the past with the Spanish-American war, their presence in foreign affairs could lead to war. All troops were withdrawn from in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Nicaragua. The United States actually gained allies after this policy was enabled, something they were not used to having. Another huge effect was the remarkable decline in the belittling stereotyping of Latinos by the American government and media industries. It looked as if the Good Neighbor Policy was bringing many good things to the
US. The Good Neighbor policy did patch up many things. It helped maintain better relations with other countries which previously hated and resented the United States, which was a huge advance towards international harmony. It stopped American imperialism and expansionism, and brought them down of their high horse. President Franklin Roosevelt knew what he was doing, and all Americans until today still owe him so much for having had the courage and the determination to make the United States a serene country, eliminating hate and resentments country by country. The Good Neighbor policy helped the United States and did change their relations with other countries, but maybe the others just chose to forgive, without forgetting.