International Concerns

On 09/12/2001 the whole world mourned the tragic loss of our fellow Americans. Despite the reality that many countries often see more death on a weekly basis than we experienced during that one tragic attack, every country offered their support and unity. Rather than building on this opportunity, our most recent President chose to taunt other countries like a bully in the schoolyard. As a result, we find ourselves at odds with numerous countries. We now openly condone torture. Some of our soldiers take photos that are similar to travel photos except that in the background the Eiffel Tower has been replaced with scared, hooded, bound, bleeding, frail naked men. We MIGHT have even flushed a copy of our enemy’s most sacred book down the toilet during an interrogation. Anti-American sentiment is at an all time high, regardless of what country you visit. America is increasingly losing ground for remaining relevant in the changes of the world. We must swallow our pride, be willing to learn, admit to our digressions, apologize for our mistakes, and plan our exit from Iraq as well as our entry back into the graces of the world. The world will stand with us once again but we must earn their support.

Interestingly enough, as the current administration of the United States pushes forward it’s aggressive conservative agenda, the rest of the world begins to follow suit. New governments in Canada, Australia, Russia, and France clearly illustrate that we have led a conservative trend amongst governments across the globe. Our foreign policy endeavors will become substantially more difficult for any American president that takes office in 2008. The coming years will not be easy. Change will require eloquent words, intelligent actions, strength in numbers, humility and integrity, intellectual honesty, in-depth research, and an ability to admit to our past transgressions. We have to stop telling the world how great we are. If we show them nothing of our greatness then we give them no reason to trust our empty words. Show them our greatness. Make them believe in us again.

I am not a foreign policy expert. I wouldn’t want to mislead you. The suggestions I put forward are that—suggestions. As such, these suggestions are rooted in my belief that we need to aggressively pursue peaceful solutions to global issues. My belief is that every army consists of multitudes of individuals. The complex dynamics of individuals requires common sense and emotional intelligence. I believe that one can apply the same decision making process necessary to navigate everyday life to the larger landscape of American foreign and domestic policy. As individuals, as parents, and as Americans, we reconcile complex dynamics with common sense solutions each moment of each day by: Choosing not to antagonize crazy, crossing the street when someone walks toward you in dim light, being willing to apologize when you’re wrong, looking both ways before crossing the street, smiling when you want someone to like you, earning the respect of others by conceding only to truth, Recognizing outbursts of insecurity as needs in disguise, admitting that you don’t know while making certain to find out, learning from your past experience, asking questions, being there when it matters, prioritizing tasks, protecting that which you love most, evaluating options, extracting fact from theory, devising a plan, having a back up plan, raising a child to love, clothing a child so that she may live, feeding a child in order that he may endure, inspiring a child toward her destiny, knowing right from wrong, hearing those around you, knowing how to listen, and knowing when to stop talking. We use these truths every day. We navigate our lives through dark street corners, sunny parks, partisan rhetoric, office politics, dingy bars family dysfunction, and the diverse range of human crises. Each of these examples illustrates emotional intelligence and common sense. I believe that this type of intelligence can and should be applied in exponentials across the globe through our foreign policy. I am not a foreign policy expert but logic is not reserved for experts alone.

I believe that we are a great nation capable of great endeavors. I believe that the great hearts and minds of the American people are capable of devising solutions that incorporate our best interests while also understanding the gravity of our decisions on the greater human population. I simply believe that we have more to offer the world than war.