The United States And Its Future Foreign Policy

Over the past seven plus years, the American people found out the hard way how George Bush's foreign policy has been a disaster for our country.  Not only have we snubbed our long term allies, but the President has used our military power with impunity to try and force democracy on another nation.  Mr. Bush violated our past commitments of working with our allies on so many fronts and therefore the next President will have to work extra hard to turn things around.

 

The next President will have to restore America's moral mantle of world leadership.  That does not mean America needs to be the world's policeman.  It means we have to lead and show the way for our allies and foes alike.  America needs to be strong economically and militarily and reverse those policies that have not only been non-productive but that have simply failed.  Remember Bush's so called "tough talk" did not prevent the worst foreign terror attack on U.S. soil on 9-11.  We can not keep arming other nations and expect other nations not to send arms to other countries.  There is no creditability in our actions when we do that. 

 

The next President should openly work to bring Israel, India, and Pakistan to be a party to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty as the U.S. and other nuclear powers are.  America loses its leverage when it tries to pick and choose what countries can or can not have WMD without checks and balances. 

 

Our next President should speak softly and carry a big stick.  Not to push our weight around, but to show our determination to make a difference in the would for peace.  No other nation will attack America if our foreign policy carries the message that it would never be of benefit to those who harbor such thoughts.  We have no adversaries that carry the destructive power that Russia possessed during the cold war, yet they knew it would not be to their advantage to launch a Nuclear War.

 

The main threat from  WMD comes from Israel, Pakistan, and India because those countries have unstable leaders and because the U.S. has a present foreign policy that is silent on those countries' responsibilities and the threat they pose.  It is almost as if our President does not want to talk about it.  We make matters worse by threats to other countries who belong to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty.

 

The next President will have an opportunity to work to reverse the madness of a foreign policy run by the President and individuals who think they have the power to bully people around while not having a sound foreign policy based on American principals, values, and respect.  I'm not sure how much time the new President will have, but I know our country will have to pull together and do what ever it takes.  In the mean time, let's hope Mr. Bush does not try anything cute to make matters worse for the new administration.  

The Next President's Greatest Domestic Challenge

The challenges facing the next President are many and severe.  The most important domestic issue for the President should be "The Greening of America."  That includes the environment, much less dependence on oil and gas, alternate fuels, conservation and technology to reduce the cost of living, and establishing a better quality of life for the people.  Those goals are reasonable and reachable if a determined start is made by the next President and made a priority. 

 

New industries and services will be created and needed to make America Green.  Those jobs that are created will replace jobs lost do to attrition and other causes.  There will be jobs that are sustainable because the Greening of America is no easy or short term undertaking.  Indeed, our lack of attention to the problem for so many years will not let this be a short lived industry.

 

A Greening economy will mean so much more to the average person then our standard economy.  In essence we will all be working to not only save our environment, but contribute to a way of life that we and our children have not seen before.  Can one image what eliminating the trash dumps across America by planned recycling will do?  And that is only one part of the Greening of America.

 

A Greener America is a cleaner environment for ourselves and our children and the future.  Less sickness, a cleaner work place with less injury, and a enjoyable atmosphere to live and play.  It will never be utopia, but it will be far better than we can ever imagine. 

 

Is this just a dream or wishful thinking?  The technology is there and at our fingertips, so it is not just a dream, but a reality.  No one ever thought we could put a man on the moon, but President Kennedy had the dream and showed the courage for our nation to venture into space.  He made it happen.  The next President can make the Greening of America happen also.  Dreams are what our country and its people are made of.  Lets go Green, America! 

How Did We Come To $120/Barrel Oil and $3.50/Gallon Gasoline

Early in the Bush administration, V.P. Cheney met with the Energy Corporations Executives.  Their meeting, deliberations, and decisions were secret and private and until this very day the public has not been given any information about their clandestine agenda.  Since Bush and Cheney were both involved in the Oil and Gas Industry before taking office, it is safe to conclude the secret discussions were about the price of Oil and Gas.

 

Then you start a war with an Oil producing country over WMD that did not exist, feed speculation about Oil supplies being cut because of the war, let it spill over to the OPEC countries, and then have the domestic Oil companies openly talk about prices being too low and inventory shortages and the speculation runs like wild fire which artificially increase prices.

 

Then, don't stop there: start talking about a possible war with Iran and production cut backs and the speculation drives prices up even higher.  Then American Oil says the price of gas should be $4.00/gallon and pretty soon the price of Oil and Gas doubles and then triples.  The only ones who benefit by these high prices are the Oil Producers.  They love the speculation they themselves participate in.  They also love the Corporate Welfare they receive from the Bush administration.

 

The American people need to understand what is going on here and do those things they can do to reduce their dependence on Oil and Gas.  We need a President who will take the Oil and Gas industry to task and implement more conservation measures and reduce our reliance on Oil and Gas. It is time to go back to some of the measures taken by President Carter, especially reducing the speed limit on the Interstate system.

 

It is time for us to remember there is no shortage of Oil and Gas, only speculation fed by greed.  Most of all, it is time to remember the Oil and Gas industry is no friend of the American people.  If you listen to their leaders, they never make enough profit, even when at record levels.