The Impending Transformation of US Foreign Policy

2008-11-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Oh what a time, what a time to be alive, to be a young person in America. We have two candidates fighting to the bitter end to secure the highest office in all the world, attacking and parrying in a dance of fiery rhetoric in the foreground of an epic ideological struggle. A background of analysis and criticism is never static but rather in a constant fluid state, constantly to change how the light is shed upon all that is before us. Yet, one aspect has been overlooked, I believe. It has received some attention, yes, but no one has addressed the significance of what is about to take place.

It is easy with so much excitement in our midst to forget something more certain than any forecast, analytical prediction, or gut instinct about who will prevail and who will not. No matter the outcome of November 4^th, US foreign policy will be dramatically transformed. In a post 9/11 world, we will see, for the first time in our history, the arranging of a presidential administration to accommodate the challenges of our day. The Bush administration, transformed as it was by the tragic attack of that September day, was established with very different assumptions from those today. There was no pressing threat of terrorism on US soil (not entirely, but remember that those attacks on US embassies and the military went largely ignored as far as the “big picture” for foreign policy). We were not heavily engaged in the Middle East with scores of Americans in harm’s way. These dramatic circumstances face a new executive on top of the already massive pile of new international realities. Iran’s nuclear program, China’s first spacewalk, Russia’s invasion of Georgia, EU near-dependency on Russian natural gas, or the assassination of Benazir Bhuto in Pakistan are but dusting of the dramatic events that have reshaped international relations since 2000.

Choices must be made, questions answered. Is China a friend or foe? If and when do we use force against Iran? Can we rely on Pakistani help to fight the Taliban? Will we keep moving towards NAFTA? Who will we buy oil from? How firmly do we stand with Israel in their struggle for survival? How do we approach terrorism- as a War on Terror or as international law enforcement? If and how will we solve the problem of illegal immigration in the US? How will we approach world trade, banking, and other economic policies in the wake of the collapse of companies like Baer-Stearns and Lehman Brothers?

There are two candidates, two ideologies. One, Barack Obama, advocates US involvement in the world by working to create global healthcare, global education, and global security. Diplomacy is viewed as the most powerful weapon in the United States’ arsenal and conflict should be averted at nearly all costs. We must negotiate with enemies in Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and anywhere else they may be. We must not be bold, but cautiously diplomatic. The war on terror should be approached as a law enforcement issue with police and INTERPOL where killing Bin Laden is top priority.

The second, John McCain, advocates US limiting US involvement in the world to fight terrorism and work to preserve freedom in a world filled with enemies. Force is that hammer which has served to make the voice of the US heard since the dark days of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Diplomacy is only useful when your words are backed-up by a sincere willingness to stand-up against evil. We must work closely with allies in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and elsewhere around the globe to create a coalition of free peoples opposed to the hateful Islamic ideology held by terrorist organizations such as the Taliban. Destroying the Taliban organization cannot be achieved by simply killing the head of the organization but rather only by weeding them out wherever they may reside. Localized Taliban leadership needs to continue to be targeted.

Both candidates sharply disagree on one issue. One candidate, Obama, wishes to withdraw prematurely from the battlefield we have fought on for years. We should simply take a chance that the Iraqi government can stand on its own two feet, and we should run for it while we still can. We will withdraw every asset accept for surveillance and the diplomatic core which will work to help the government. The second, McCain, wishes to fight terrorism and kill those who wish to murder millions. Iraq is stable, but not stable enough for us to retreat and withdraw all US military support. We should remain resolved to remain, to fight, until the mission is complete and victory is achieved. Diplomats cannot be left in Iraq unprotected by US forces until Iraq is ready to defend herself. Withdrawal would only lead to an Iraq-Iran war and thousands more dead.

It should be clear to anyone that John McCain has solid foreign policy while Obama would set us on a course to put us behind decades of where we are now. He will endanger or essential alliances and alienate allies. He will create a pool of instability which will embroil the entire Middle East. He will cede the future to the Chinese as he avoids proactive trade policies. He will bankrupt us and hand us to the rest of the world on a very large silver platter. John McCain will be initiating new foreign policies to strengthen our alliances and check our enemies in the world. He will get us on track to compete with China for the future. He will ensure that we do not lose the war on terror.

No matter what happens on the 4^th, foreign policy will look dramatically different. McCain won’t be another Bush administration, but Obama’s policies are the stuff of lunacy. It is not an exaggeration. If you are a student of economics, history, or political science, you will clearly see who the right choice is.

If you are a student of international relations, like me, you too are wondering what the world will look like in just a few months. Either way, the world of tomorrow will be nothing like the days past or any of the imaginative dreams conceived of those times. We are in an entirely new era, in uncharted international waters. Either the US will become fully entrenched and stretched-out across the globe vulnerable to attack, or we will involve ourselves in strengthening allies in a global war on terror. For the US, tomorrow truly does bring dramatic change. What a time to be a young person in America, to watch one of the biggest pivotal moments in US foreign policy.

What the Republic Can Do

2008-08-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

When the United States was in its infancy, the founding fathers saw the need to rectify and eventually replace a weak system of government under the Articles of Confederation. The construction of the new Constitution would be a tedious task of careful deliberation and cautious compromise. Still, a basic set of guiding principles of freedom and liberty ruled their hearts and minds as they sought to set up a unique republic with power firmly in the grip of the people. All power would flow from the people to ensure that tyranny would never return while citizens remained watchful of their government. Benjamin Franklin’s infamous quote in reply to the question of what government was created is poignant- “A republic, if you can keep it.” The success and failure of our republican government rides solely on the shoulders of free citizens who have been granted all power to determine our nation’s future. If our nation continues on as a bastion of freedom, enjoying all the blessings and riches granted by a merciful God, than it is because the people have preserved and perpetuated it is as such. If, however, the day arrives when the great pillars of our nation rot to the point of collapse under the weight of a million encumbrances, it too is because citizens have preserved and perpetuated it as such.

It is my intent to ensure a brighter future with a restored America, starting on the most local level. Citizens can and do make a difference in this country every time they vote, work a campaign, organize conventions, serve as voting judges, lobby their representative, or write a letter to the President. You who are reading this make a difference day to day in what happens in our nation, even when you decide to do nothing. Keeping informed and educated on issues of our personal liberty is a responsibility the founding fathers bestowed upon us. If hope is ever extinguished and citizens do not stand, all is lost. We have a republic, so long as we can keep it.

Welcome to my blog. See what happens when citizens take a stand and show what the republic can do. Any comments, questions, etc are most welcome so long as they remain respectful. I will not allow posters to verbally abuse each other. Thanks for reading, and God bless!