My President - Part II My Issues
Read also Part I The Candidates and Part III My Endorsement of...
When I’m deciding which party to support in Sweden, the main reason for my choice is the ideology the party is representing. Endorsing an American candidate for president is different; even though ideology do matter, how America will influence the rest of the world is more important and how America will express their leadership.
A genocide in Kosova was prevented thanks to American intervention in the late 1990:th. It’s impossible for the rest of the world to stop genocide in Darfur without America. The world need a superpower that is ready to use force to enforce peace and prevent war, but which main task is to secure democracy and stability though international cooperation, not through unilateral enforcement.
Therefore the candidates’ position on Iraq is important. I was discussing that a year ago when the Iraq Study Group released their report, and I thing what I wrote then is still relevant:
Both the report and the public opinion in America suggest that the American presence in Iraq will decline. In the long run it’s a wise strategy – a massive American military presence is hardly the best way to form a democratic and free Iraq.
But America can not ‘cut and run’ from their self chosen responsibility in Iraq. A to quick removal of the US troops that is not matched by stronger Iraqi institutions risk to escalate the civil war and killing even more. The saying ‘if you break it you fix it’ can be used also when discussing the American involvement in Iraq.
Another issues where America’s next president need to show leadership and take responsibility is the fight against the climate change. US is by far the country that emits most green house gases and still President Bush and the then republican congress didn’t ratify the Kyoto protocol. The results from the Bali conference was also far from enough. It is not enough if America stop the increase of green house gases. The emissions need to be reduced. Now.
The third important international issue – after America’s leadership in the world and the fight against global warming – is the fight against world poverty. A more peaceful world is one important condition. A fair and free trade is another requirement to allow the developing countries to develop. And it is not only a benefit for the developing countries – I think we all can benefit of free trade.
For America to be taken seriously while showing leadership, America need to live up to the American ideals and to the demands on the only remaining superpower. The current administration’s undermining of Habeus Corpus – i.e. at Guatanamo Bay – Is a betrayal to those ideals. The use of torture and other violations of the Geneva Convention are other.
Domestic issues will not influence me to the same degree as international will, but the president’s positions on social issues influence other countries. In many countries a woman’s right to chose is not a political issue. In America it is, and I want a president that is pro choice and a president that support the constitution’s separation of church and state.
And off course, even though I’m not affected, I think America need a reformed health care system. It can’t be right that a nation using more resources than any country in the world to health care still has so many of it’s citizens without a proper health care. And I think that decreased injustice between the economic and social privileged and the less fortunate is good.
In earlier elections, one of the mayor issues has been electability – a candidate’s capability to win the election. That is of course still important, but this year almost all democratic candidates are terrific and should have a good chance winning the election regardless of who their republican opponent is.
So, please tell me which candidate you think best is matching my demands? Take the poll below!
Andra bloggar om USA, presidentvalet, USA-valet 2008 och demokraterna
When I’m deciding which party to support in Sweden, the main reason for my choice is the ideology the party is representing. Endorsing an American candidate for president is different; even though ideology do matter, how America will influence the rest of the world is more important and how America will express their leadership.A genocide in Kosova was prevented thanks to American intervention in the late 1990:th. It’s impossible for the rest of the world to stop genocide in Darfur without America. The world need a superpower that is ready to use force to enforce peace and prevent war, but which main task is to secure democracy and stability though international cooperation, not through unilateral enforcement.
Therefore the candidates’ position on Iraq is important. I was discussing that a year ago when the Iraq Study Group released their report, and I thing what I wrote then is still relevant:
Both the report and the public opinion in America suggest that the American presence in Iraq will decline. In the long run it’s a wise strategy – a massive American military presence is hardly the best way to form a democratic and free Iraq.
But America can not ‘cut and run’ from their self chosen responsibility in Iraq. A to quick removal of the US troops that is not matched by stronger Iraqi institutions risk to escalate the civil war and killing even more. The saying ‘if you break it you fix it’ can be used also when discussing the American involvement in Iraq.
Another issues where America’s next president need to show leadership and take responsibility is the fight against the climate change. US is by far the country that emits most green house gases and still President Bush and the then republican congress didn’t ratify the Kyoto protocol. The results from the Bali conference was also far from enough. It is not enough if America stop the increase of green house gases. The emissions need to be reduced. Now.
The third important international issue – after America’s leadership in the world and the fight against global warming – is the fight against world poverty. A more peaceful world is one important condition. A fair and free trade is another requirement to allow the developing countries to develop. And it is not only a benefit for the developing countries – I think we all can benefit of free trade.
For America to be taken seriously while showing leadership, America need to live up to the American ideals and to the demands on the only remaining superpower. The current administration’s undermining of Habeus Corpus – i.e. at Guatanamo Bay – Is a betrayal to those ideals. The use of torture and other violations of the Geneva Convention are other.
Domestic issues will not influence me to the same degree as international will, but the president’s positions on social issues influence other countries. In many countries a woman’s right to chose is not a political issue. In America it is, and I want a president that is pro choice and a president that support the constitution’s separation of church and state.
And off course, even though I’m not affected, I think America need a reformed health care system. It can’t be right that a nation using more resources than any country in the world to health care still has so many of it’s citizens without a proper health care. And I think that decreased injustice between the economic and social privileged and the less fortunate is good.
In earlier elections, one of the mayor issues has been electability – a candidate’s capability to win the election. That is of course still important, but this year almost all democratic candidates are terrific and should have a good chance winning the election regardless of who their republican opponent is.
So, please tell me which candidate you think best is matching my demands? Take the poll below!
Andra bloggar om USA, presidentvalet, USA-valet 2008 och demokraterna
Etiketter: presidentvalet, primärval, USA
posted by Martin Tollén at 1/01/2008 07:20:00 em
0 Comments:
Skicka en kommentar
<< Home