Foreign Policy

The U.S. cannot and should not try to be the Lone Ranger for the world; frankly, we neither have all the answers nor can we afford the financial cost. An effective 21st Century foreign policy needs to acknowledge and incorporate a philosophy of inclusion. Our new foreign policy needs to address sustainability of world resources, the environment, and population in order to maintain a stable world in which we can prosper.

Developing an effective and efficient military force to deal with international terrorism and to act in concert with our economic allies is essential. Our current force structure is rooted in a World War II and Cold War mentality, which is counter to our national interests and is wasting our precious resources. A quality-not-quantity approach is desirable to serve our interests, in my view. National Guard and Reserve components should only serve domestic needs unless there is a congressional war decree. Furthermore, national service incentives should be expanded to recruit required military forces, and privately contracted mercenary forces should be severely constrained on both cost and philosophical grounds.

Iraq is an example of our foreign policy gone amuck. Rather than helping our battle against international terrorism, it detoured us from a just and international effort to fight those who want to destroy western civilization, mainly from safe havens in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Criminal investigations of possible wrong-doing should be a part of actions for the 111th Congress. For an in-depth perspective on Iraq and transforming our military to meet 21st Century challenges, as well as a solid argument for getting out, see retired Colonel Douglas MacGregor's article "The Military After Bush."