Candidate Review

 

Foreign Policy

 

General Wesley Clark

 

Once again this is from his website, from a speech he gave in South Carolina.

"As my record makes clear, I am not opposed to confronting a dictator, setting an ultimatum, and acting with force if the ultimatum's not met. We did it twice. We fought with Milosevic and persuaded our allies to join us. And I wrestled with some of the pentagon brass along the way to get it done. If we have to confront danger again, we will. And we will win.

But we must be a country that listens, and leads again. A country that is respected, not resented. Not for its military might or material wealth, but for its values and vision; for the greatness of its goals, and for the generosity of its spirit. Respected more than feared, by nations rich and poor, Christian, Jews, and Muslim. A country governed by people with ideals, not radical ideologies. A nation where citizens speak their minds, demand more of their leaders, and serve their country. It's what I call a New American Patriotism."

 

Former Governor Howard Dean

 

From Howard Deans website.

 

"We remain the sole superpower in the world. As Madeleine Albright once put it, we are the "indispensable power" for addressing so many of the challenges around the world. But we cannot lead the world by force, and we cannot go it alone. We must lead toward clearly articulated and shared goals and with the cooperation and respect of friends and allies.

I seek to restore the best traditions of American leadership. Leadership in which our power is multiplied by the appeal of democratic ideals and by the knowledge that our country is a force for law around the world, not a law unto itself.

I will not divide the world into us versus them. Rather, I will rally the world around fundamental principles of decency, responsibility, freedom, and mutual respect. Our foreign and military policy must be about the notion of America leading the world, not America against the world."

 

Senator John Edwards

 

These comments are from before the war in Iraq, and are more than a year old (October 7, 2002 to be precises).

”. . . the first responsibility of any government is the safety and security of its citizens. I believe that, today, that responsibility imposes three challenges above all others: first, to eliminate the threat of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; second, to win the war on terrorism; and third, to promote democracy and freedom around the world, especially the Middle East.

I believe that the successful pursuit of these goals can only come through American leadership of the world - not American disregard for it. Leadership is one of those words that is used so often it sometimes loses its meaning. But sometime soon, if our men and women in uniform are sent into battle into Iraq, we will see very clearly what leadership means. Because if we lead properly, others will join us, adding moral and military strength to our cause, sharing the dangers of war and the burdens of peace that will follow. But if we fail to lead, we will bear those risks and costs alone.

American leadership is about more than our ability to dominate others. It is about convincing others that our power serves their interests as well as our own. We inspire others to stand with us when we show that we are willing to stand with them, to listen to them, to take their views and contributions into account instead of taking them for granted. Too often, this administration seems to confuse leadership with going it alone and engagement with the compromise of principle - but real leadership is about setting principles and rallying others around them.”

 

Representative Dick Gephardt

 

Here's the quote, from a speech in Cedar Rapids on Monday (December 1, 2003).

"Promote stability and democracy abroad by raising living standards through fair trade and social reform. The power of a free market that expands growth equitably can tackle the root causes of terrorism and free an oppressed people. We just have to reach out an open hand.

"We must lead the world by building consensus with other nations, rather than fostering resentment. This sounds elementary, possibly because this was our foreign policy for generations. But George Bush has discarded this approach with arrogance and a flick of the wrist."

 

Senator John Kerry

 

Here's a quote from Sen. John Kerry from his website.

"Americans deserve a principled diplomacy...backed by undoubted military might...based on enlightened self-interest, not the zero-sum logic of power politics...a diplomacy that commits America to lead the world toward liberty and prosperity. A bold progressive internationalism that focuses not just on the immediate and imminent, but insidious dangers that can mount over the next years and decade, dangers that span the spectrum from the denial of democracy, to destructive weapons, endemic poverty and epidemic disease. These are not just issues of international order, but vital issues of our own national security."

 

Senator Dennis Kucinich

 

And from Dennis Kucinich's website, his proposal for a department of peace.

"As we stand on the threshold of a new millennium, it is time to free ourselves, to jettison our illusions and fears and transform age-old challenges with new thinking. We can conceive of peace as not simply the absence of violence but the active presence of the capacity for a higher evolution of human awareness, of respect, trust, and integrity. Of peace, wherein we all may tap the infinite capabilities of humanity to transform consciousness and conditions that impel or compel violence at a personal, group, or national level toward creating understanding, compassion, and love. We can bring forth new understandings where peace, not war, becomes inevitable. Can we move from wars to end all wars to peace to end all war?

Citizens across the United States are now uniting in a great cause to establish a Department of Peace, seeking nothing less than the transformation of our society, to make non-violence an organizing principle, to make war archaic through creating a paradigm shift in our culture for human development for economic and political justice and for violence control. Its work in violence control will be to support disarmament, treaties, peaceful coexistence and peaceful consensus building. Its focus on economic and political justice will examine and enhance resource distribution, human and economic rights and strengthen democratic values."

 

Senator Joe Lieberman

 

Here's Joe Lieberman, from a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, September 10, 2003.

"In 2000, then-Governor Bush said he wanted American foreign policy to be "humble, but strong."

To have ignored his own credo right after the election was bad enough. But to have continued on that path after September 11th has been downright dangerous. It hasn't just let down the American people; it's let down the moderate Muslim majority that needs our support now more than ever.

As a result, distrust of America is wide and deep around the world today, even among our closest allies. That is an ominous fact in a war that demands we muster long-term moral and political strength as well as military might.

We have suffered enough from the Bush Administration's miscalculations and mistakes. It is time to rebuild strategic partnerships with the world--partnerships that will promote our values, strengthen our security, and stand the test of time."