Some previous examples of naivete in foreign policy:

[hedgehog]

1948: Truman naively addresses the Soviet isolation of West Berlin with an airlift, thereby sidestepping a military confrontation in which we could have really "shown" them.

1950: Truman naively travels to Wake Island to confer with MacArthur instead of insisting that MacArthur travel all the way to D.C. (OK, maybe that's technically not foreign policy, but MacArthur did consider himself to be a sovereign nation unto himself.)>

1961: Bay of Pigs: JFK naively refuses to believe that Cubans will arise to support the overthrow of Castro

1962: Cuban Missile Crisis: JFK naively refuses to allow the Air Force to bomb the Cuban Missile sites, opting for a wussy naval blockade instead.. He ignores the 2nd letter while RFK continues talking for him through a back channel to the Soviets

1963: JFK naively stops atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons thereby allowing the Soviets to "win" because they make the last test. This sets the stage for the nuclear test Ban treaty.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Good examples. Here's an example of an old hand at foreign policy:

Dick Cheney. Boy, that experience paid off BIG TIME, didn't it?

[stillcool]

2. Here's some examples of ...

Foreign Policy for the naive...
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Foreign_Policy/US_ForeignPolicy.html