Six Steps Toward A Foreign Policy
That Makes Us Safer
As we grapple with the appropriate responses to terrorism it is
important to recall how US foreign policies have helped fuel conflict
and destablization. Our colleagues at California Peace Action drafted
these six guidelines for a safer, more sane U.S. foreign policy.
1.Stop the Arms Trade
The US leads the world in arms exports,primarily to dictatorships
and human rights abusing governments.When a missile slams into an
ambulance in Lebanon,people should no longer pick up pieces of the
missile that literally say Made in the USA.¹ There are no controls
on the weapons we sell.If US troops are sent into conflict in Afghanistan
they will be shot at by troops armed with US weapons.Congress must
strengthen restrictions on US weapons sales.
2.Eliminate Weapons of Mass Destruction
The US should devote our fullest national resources to eradicating
nuclear,chemical and bio- logical weapons.Programs to dismantle
and safeguard Russian nuclear weapons should be a fully-funded national
priority.Congress should show leadership by funding programs to
help dismantle nuclear weapons in other countries.The US should
stop producing nuclear weapons and drastically reduce its own nuclear
arsenal.
3.End Military Training and Support Programs
In the past we have armed and/or trained clients ¹ like Osama
bin Laden,Saddam Hussein and Manuel Noriega.While each situation
was different,in each case the result was bad.Military training
and covert operations like these do not make us safer.The US must
take the responsible step of ending military training to countries
that are guilty of human rights abuses.
4.Lift Economic Sanctions
Virtually every other country recognizes that economic sanctions
on Iraq have resulted in enormous civilian suffering.According to
the United Nations,economic sanctions have resulted in the death
of 500,000 children.Civilians are paying the price for sanctions
that have had no impact on Saddam Hussein.
5.Commit Ourselves to International Cooperation
A unilateral foreign policy breeds resentment and makes many view
the US as arrogant.There is no such thing as going it alone ¹ in
the modern,globalized world.
6.Increase US Foreign Aid
The US is the wealthiest nation in the world,but contributes less
foreign aid per capita than any other developed nation.The Marshall
Plan,in which we rebuilt the economies of our former foes is universally
recognized as one of our greatest foreign policy successes.Launching
aid projects and helping to build infrastructure in impoverished
nations will make us more secure.
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