How Modernization Theory Helped to Determine the Kennedy Administration's Colombia Policy

Résumé du document

The Kennedy administration is known for its involvement in helping development as the creation of the USAID in 1961 indicates. However, this role endorsed by the United States is not exclusive to Kennedy and was already present during Truman's and Eisenhower's mandates. All of these policies had a common intellectual framework in the Modernization Theory which consisted in a set of ideas and strategies guiding foreign aid, trade, nationalism and counterinsurgency. However, there was also a fierce presumption where the economic and political advancements in western countries were normative; it was in world's interest to bring humanity to a comparable level of modernity versus backwardness. The years following WWII and Kennedy's arrival to presidency gave, through a particular context of early cold-war and decolonization, a strong appeal to such a Modernization Theory that would eventually backup the new ambitions of the Kennedy administration in Latin America. The Modernization theory certainly derived benefits from the globalization process and particularly from what we call the "modern globalization?. The post WWII context is crucial for understanding the attractiveness of the Modernization Theory. The fact that the U.S emerged as the new superpower which contributed to the cause of freeing Europe and the world from fascism, made America look like a valuable model that could be exported to different parts of the world.

Extraits

[...] By willing to promote cooperation, peace and freedom, Kennedy wants to establish good development conditions by supporting free market and free trade economies which contributes to development. In the American administration existed the fear that communism could be considered as an efficient solution because of the success Stalin encountered during the 30's when he had industrialized U.S.S.R while liberal economies languished in depression. This led to the statement in which turning an agrarian economy into an industrial powerhouse did not require capitalism nor democratic approaches. [...]

[...] The need for development theories legitimating the american intervention is a necessity for the Kennedy administration The address delivered on January the 20th of 1961 is the first and only one delivered by President Kennedy. It is the first public mention of what will further become the Kennedy Doctrine, which main pillar is certainly the Modernization Theory. In his address, President Kennedy emphasized the American support for Freedom -which seem to be one of the major stakes of the 60's- as nations shouldn't go from colonialism to communism. [...]

[...] A couple of centuries after, major thinkers and philosophers of the Enlightenment enforced Reason and rationalized policies as the basis of a «modern» state system. This new state system came up with the idea that people could develop and change their society by themselves. However, the very first time a connection between economic and social development is made comes with the works of the french philosopher Marquis de Condorcet who stated that a technological progress paired with economical changes could enable an evolution in people's moral and cultural habits. [...]

[...] The connection existing between Cuba and the Alliance for Progress is vital to understanding why did this program become such an important priority for the Kennedy administration. In Kennedy's mind, increasing its influence in South America and subverting the region was the Moscow plan for achieving global supremacy. The Alliance for Progress became the solution to this problem. Modernization theory as a background framework for the Alliance for Progress When created, Alliance for Progress was to be a ten years billion foreign aid program for Latin America. [...]

[...] How Modernization Theory Helped to Determine the Kennedy Administration's Colombia Policy Introduction The Kennedy administration is known for its involvement in help for development as the creation of the USAID in 1961 indicates. However, this role endorsed by the United States is not exclusive to Kennedy and was already present during Truman's and Eisenhower's mandates. All of these policies had a common intellectual framework in the Modernization Theory which consisted in a set of ideas and strategies guiding foreign aid, trade, nationalism and counterinsurgency. [...]