Well - that might been an overly simplified (but not always incorrect) understanding of US foreign policy. For example, using Malaysia again as an example, the United States increased their human trafficking rating from tier 3 to tier 2 in 2015. Why? According to Wikileaks (https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/43593), this was in order to allow Malaysia to participate in the TPPA. This is a very clear case of the United States meddling in foreign affairs for its own profit.
In case you are unaware, the US can not enter into a trade agreement with a tier 3 nation (Tier 3 is the lowest possible rating in the US State Departments Trafficking in Persons Annual Report). So the US excused the behavior of one of the worst human trafficking offenders on the planet for advantageous trade arrangements (relating to an agreement that will never be passed, ironically). But oddly at the same time the State Department was ignoring Malaysia’s record in human slavery, the DOJ was issuing indictments against the Malaysian government for extensive financial corruption.
I don’t think this is an issue of incoherent policy, but rather the actions of very different human agents. In one case (the state department), they ignored their duty to the people of a foreign country in order to increase trade. In another action (from the DOJ) individuals attacked US relations with Malaysia (so much so, that Malaysia has been courting Chinese support recently - which is a MASSIVE foreign relations shift for this south east asian nation) because their legal position demanded it.
Don’t see any black helicopters here, just good and bad individual actors - shame on the State Department - way to go DOJ.
