One of the core values that makes America a symbol of democracy is the respect and upholding of human rights. The Declaration of Independence ensures every American is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. With these core values, other nations look to America with high respect and praise and strive to imitate it.
Unfortunately the world view of America has seriously deteriorated over the last eight years and there is good reason for that. From reaching a sympathetic climax from the world after the tragedy of 9/11, America has lost its course and alienated many of their allies. The invasion of Iraq against the decision of the United Nations is one reason. The unconstitutional torturing of POWs in Guantanamo Bay is another. But the greatest factor is probably the whole hubris and total disregrad of other nations by the current administration. To make things worse, this mentality is even applied to citizens of America.
The failure to respond to Hurriance Katrina and support New Orleans is one disaster. The failure to respond to sure signs of a mortgage meltdown is another. The failure to do anything that will curb America’s addiction and dependency to foreign oil after 9/11, especially since these profits are fueling the nations that are supporting extermist groups against the United States, is probably the biggest failure. And now when democracy comes into play and the Americans who have been affected by all of these failures finally have a chance to respond by voting, the party responsible for these failures would like to take that away! I was absolutely disheartened when I read this article in the Michigan Messenger where the GOP is attempting to block families who have been served a foreclosure notice from voting. This is probably the most unpatriotic and un-American thing that I have heard, and something that I would think was even beyond the Republican party.
The premise that the GOP is using is that these families no longer live in these houses and therefore should not be voting in that district. That of course is absurd, because anyone familiar with the foreclosure process knows that even when one has been served with a notice, that is not mean that the family loses their house right away. In fact, in most cases this opens the door for further negotiation with the financial institution to come up with some type of repayment plan that is satisfactory to all parties involved. But that is beside the point. The point is, these are still American citizens and to suppress them from having the opportunity to speak their minds is, in my view, a violation of the basic rights of an American citizen under the Declaration of Independence.
It has become crystal clear that the Republican Party has decided that they will do anything possible, from outright lying in front of the media and in their smear ads, to abusing the fundamental rights of American citizens and intimidating the most down on their luck American people. This is disgusting, this is repulsive and this is outright vile. I pray that the American people see this for what it is, and exercise their fundamental right to vote and choose to against these tactics and bring back the America that stood for what it was founded on: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Sound Advice for the Next President
Tags: barack obama, colin powell, foreign policy, henry kissinger, james baker, john mccain, madeline albright, presidential election, secretary of state, warren christopher
A couple of nights ago, I was watching an open forum discussion airing on CNN that included five former secretary of states: Colin Powell (Jan. 2001 - Jan. 2005, George W. Bush), Madeline Albright (Jan. 1997 - Jan. 2001, Bill Clinton), Warren Christopher (Jan. 1993 - Jan. 1997, Bill Clinton), James A. Baker III (Jan. 1989 - Jan. 1993, George H.W. Bush) and Henry Kissinger (Sept. 1973 - Jan. 1977, Nixon/Ford). It was a non-partisan discussion that focused mainly on foreign policy. The purpose was to leverage the experience of all of these individuals that have been there done that, and present their views as advice for the next President to think about.
What I found refreshing was that these former secretaries left their partisan banners at the door and had a honest, intelligent conversation about the real world challenges that the next President will need to deal with in the ever changing global climate. They covered various topics such as the recent Russia-Georgia conflict, the Middle East and more specifically Iran, the use of the Guantanamo Bay torture camp, as well as the changing role of America on the global playing field.
On the Russia-Georgia conflict: The consensus was brash actions and sabre rattling is not the solution. Colin Powell was most critical of McCain’s statement “We are all Georgians now” with the response, “One candidate said that, and I’ll let the candidate explain it for himself.” Powell, as well as the rest of the panel agreed that Russia is an important ally to have and it would be irresponsible to jump to one side of the conflict without fully analyzing the situation and understanding the interests of both Georgia and Russia. He even went as far as laying the blame of the conflict on Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, indicating that he was lighting a flame in a room full of combustibles, and the resulting conflict was predictable and avoidable. Interestingly enough, a call to restraint without jumping to the backing of either side was a position that Barack Obama took. John McCain on the other hand, put out his “We are all Georgians” speech without too much thought of the consequences or meaning of his words. Perhaps it’s because one of his closest advisers on foreign policy is a former lobbyist for the Nation of Georgia, that McCain had such a harsh tone. I’ll let the people past judgement on that one.
On initiating talks with Iran: Once again there was a consensus from the panel that the next administration must start dialogue with Iran or other nations that may not hold the US in high regard. They were all flustered with why there currently isn’t any dialogue with these nations, and emphasized that diplomacy and multi-lateral negotiations with the help of other UN countries was the key. Warren Christopher put it bluntly, “We can’t be complacent about the nuclear possibilities in Iran, but nevertheless we cannot afford not to have a comprehensive dialogue to see if it can be stopped because, frankly, the military options here are very, very poor.” Again, seeking diplomacy and a multi-lateral discussion with other UN countries on Iran is a policy that Barack Obama has put forward. Of course, this approach has been ridiculed by John McCain as being naive and never one to withhold an opportunity sabre rattle, McCain is well known for his “Bomb Iran” joke.
On torture and Guantanamo Bay: All members of the panel agreed that the Guantanamo Bay prison camp is unconstitutional and should be shut down right away to signal to the world that America actually follow actions that it preaches. The torture of the POWs there is unethical, and it reduces America’s credence in the free world as well as alienates its allies. This is one thing that both candidates agree on, however, the opinion on the rights and treatment of the prisoners is where Obama and McCain diverge.
Finally, a theme that was persistent during the whole conversation was the acknowledgement that the role of America is changing. The days where America can work solely as a demander of other nations is no longer a reality. As other nations have grown into power, something that should not be seen as a threat to America, it is now more important than ever for America to be a leader and respect the needs and positions of other nations. The need for America to patch up the relationships with their allies are paramount to any foreign policy decision moving forward.
I found it quite interesting that although John McCain is generally viewed to having the advantage and experience in foreign policy, it is actually Barack Obama’s ideas and views that are closely aligned to what the panel is suggesting. Perhaps with everything else, judgement and intellect does outweigh go-with-your-gut instincts and experience. I am looking forward to the debates this coming Friday, and see if Obama can use his judgement and temperament to trump McCain on his strongest suit: foreign policy. It’ll be interesting to watch indeed.