blog

Barack Obama gave an important speech about his foreign policy proposal today. Here is an excerpt that beautifully summarizes my feelings about the direction our country has taken since Sept. 11, 2001:

Imagine, for a moment, what we could have done in those days, and months, and years after 9/11.

We could have deployed the full force of American power to hunt down and destroy Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, the Taliban, and all of the terrorists responsible for 9/11, while supporting real security in Afghanistan.

We could have secured loose nuclear materials around the world, and updated a 20th century non-proliferation framework to meet the challenges of the 21st.

We could have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in alternative sources of energy to grow our economy, save our planet, and end the tyranny of oil.

We could have strengthened old alliances, formed new partnerships, and renewed international institutions to advance peace and prosperity.

We could have called on a new generation to step into the strong currents of history, and to serve their country as troops and teachers, Peace Corps volunteers and police officers.

We could have secured our homeland--investing in sophisticated new protection for our ports, our trains and our power plants.

We could have rebuilt our roads and bridges, laid down new rail and broadband and electricity systems, and made college affordable for every American to strengthen our ability to compete.

We could have done that.

Instead, we have lost thousands of American lives, spent nearly a trillion dollars, alienated allies and neglected emerging threats - all in the cause of fighting a war for well over five years in a country that had absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks.

As the Bush regime draws to a close and I become more and more hopeful for an Obama presidency, I find myself wanting to spend less time mourning the mistakes of the past and more time envisioning the future. Obama's speech outlines five goals:

1. ending the war in Iraq responsibly;
2. finishing the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban;
3. securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states;
4. achieving true energy security; and
5. rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

I'm excited by Obama's plan to shift the country's dependence on foreign oil toward alternative energy sources:

For the sake of our security - and for every American family that is paying the price at the pump - we must end this dependence on foreign oil. And as President, that's exactly what I'll do. Small steps and political gimmickry just won't do. I'll invest $150 billion over the next ten years to put America on the path to true energy security. This fund will fast track investments in a new green energy business sector that will end our addiction to oil and create up to 5 million jobs over the next two decades, and help secure the future of our country and our planet. We'll invest in research and development of every form of alternative energy - solar, wind, and biofuels, as well as technologies that can make coal clean and nuclear power safe.

There are things in Obama's speech I disagree with; for example, I'm skeptical of coal power and deeply opposed to nuclear power. But realistically, I recognize that there will never be a candidate with whom I agree 100 percent. And I believe Obama has the intelligence and integrity to provide capable leadership and decision-making in these areas.

Watch the video and read the text of Barack Obama's entire speech, "A New Strategy for a New World."

posted by Patia  8:39 PM