I advocate moving toward a non-violent foreign policy that collaborates with all nations and peoples for mutual benefit. Freedom is a precious American word and one of the four freedoms articulated by FDR is freedom from fear. Yet our current military spending is pumped by fear and the homeland security act is dripping with tactics designed to promote that fear. Our fear is driving us to an irrational confidence in violence to keep us safe from violence.
For too long we have sought national security through military dominance. Most politicians send out pictures of themselves posed with US military personnel, figuratively wrapped in the flag --at tax-payer expense. Some vote for new nuclear weapons and pre-emptive wars while looking the other way when these are proven counter-productive and based on lies. They propose laws to make it illegal to support the International Criminal Court and to war with other nations who do support it. What they seem to mean by National sovereignty is USA sovereignty. All other states exist to be dominated.
I believe there is far more to what happened on 9/11/2001 than we have been told by the 9/11 Commission that would implicate the NeoCons in treason. The Commission was not allowed access to lots of information and its own members have said so including Max Cleland, Vietnam Vet who was slandered by the Republicans in a re-election bid. He resigned in disgust. We need to redo this Commission's work and I believe in the process will take a hard look at the devious underlying strategies of our Military Industrial Congressional Complex. Boy have we got a complex.
I advocate keeping our word given in treaties and in our constitution, including our full and respectful participation in the United Nations. I want to keep our pledges to eliminate all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. I pledge to support the International Criminal Court and all UN resolutions. I expect the President to operate according to the constitution and abhor the metaphorical use of the word war, as in "war on terrorism" to justify the abridgment of civil rights and massive fiscal irresponsibility.
For starters, we should change the name, "Foreign Policy" to "International Relations" because it reveals a more cooperative stance and views the rest of the world not as foreigners but as neighbors.
We should insist that all nations obey all the resolutions of the United Nations and our policies with regard to our own national interest should not be distorted by political action groups advocating for influence for their particular ethnic group or former country. We are not Rome--We do not demand tribute but accept that international law should govern international relations. This includes Israel whose legitimacy and safety depend upon the United Nations. Nor should expatriate refugee groups who have tons of dollars to contribute to election campaigns shape our relations with their countries. It is time to end our embargo of Cuba and to work with whomever the Cuban people elect as their leaders. All countries including our own should be expected to operate with respect for the human rights of all their citizens --and crimes against humanity must be a matter for the international community to enforce. We believe in the Rule of Law and we should practice what we preach. The days of the Cold War with its distortion of language and veils of secrecy must be brought to a close. Secrecy is the weapon of scoundrels and not of citizens. The vision of a United Nations working together to prevent war, a vision for which the Greatest Generation give their blood, is in our national interest and everyone elses.
Worth a read: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25694.htm
Also: http://www.truth-out.org/the-christian-fascists-are-growing-stronger60208?print
