Blog to America -
American Perspectives

Dear Global Community,

The future of the United Sates should include efforts to more Cooperatively interact with the UN. With the UN's approval of action against circumstances of hostile, aggressive behavior of other countries, it will be easier to change the world for the better and protect the assaulted People/ nations. The goal of the United States international Interactions needs to be: 1) To make a better life for its own people needing help, and 2) To keep, create, and offer peace. The first step to help out humanity, without using force (a way for the U.S. to gain the worlds Trust again), is to, with the UN's support oversee and provide Assistance in the homelands of those who show up at our borders, because of disease, poverty, and hunger. The United States will have more success in the actions we take, if we work through international organizations. Hopefully, by strengthening the UN, unstable/ semi-unpredictable Countries like China and Russia, can be controlled, and even steered towards favoring the United States' and The UN's wisdom. We, the people of this earth, are stronger united than apart. We each have something to Offer each other. We believe the same is true for countries. If we take these cooperative actions, the world will respect all that the UN has to offer, and will become a more peaceful, cooperative place.

We could be begin by withdrawing our troops, not all at once because we have created a level of dependence, and that could easily cause a collapse and then, more unrest. Starting, post-haste, span it out over several months, and take back in our troops a few thousand at a time. We have no idea what the effect will or could be, but no one will probably worse off, and hopefully, it will slowly inspire independence. If we give them time, to sort themselves out, even if it has to come to a civil war, let them create their balance. We could, grouped with other powers under some UN sanctified task force, return later and offer monetary assistance or help them stabilize themselves in the world economy. We should continue using oil from the middle east, it forces a certain amount of trust and would keep some sort of communication open between us, and that is a good thing, we all need good foreign relations because no nation can live in isolation. We could offer work programs to economic migrants and then send them back with a good, or more advanced education, so as to help better their own communities. Now though, we need to back off, give them their space, and quit lording over them. We may be a world power, but we shouldn't be arrogant. Yeah.

Jessie Theby, Riley Deel


About the Author

Name: Riley
Age: 17
Country: USA
City: St. Louis
State: MO
Gender: Female
Occupation: Student

Labels: 10's, female, foreign policy, iraq war, missouri, student

Dear Global Community,

The United States needs to back off. Right now we are pressure people too much, and we are not making them happy. We are making some enemies, which is not good. We need to calm down and give other nations a chance instead of stepping in right away and interfering. Some nations might need a push in the right direction, but we don't have to force it so much. We need to stop focusing on the on everyone else, and start focusing on the citizens of our own nation. I understand that we can't pull out of things too fast, like Iraq, because that can cause trouble. We should just slowly start pulling out, especially if it's somewhere where we are not welcome. If we do not have the support from other people of what we are doing we should get the idea that maybe it's not the best thing. We should listen to other nations, instead of ignoring them. If we were to pull out of Iraq it may cause trouble, but maybe trouble is needed. Iraq should work out their own problems. If civil war were to break out, then maybe it is necessary. If a war broke out and got too bad, we could always come back, but I think we need to give them a chance and see what happens if we were not there. It would be nice if we could set up a working government in Iraq before we leave, but the reality is, that could take way too long.


About the Author

Name: Shannon
Age: 17
State: Missouri
Gender: Female

Labels: 10's, female, foreign policy, iraq war, missouri

Dear Global Community,

Why do we believe that the US has to police the entire world. I understand that with great power comes responsibility, but at the cost of our own citizens. Our unrelenting vigor when it is completely obvious we lost can only be two things, bravery or stupidness. Iraq is a prime example of this view, our forces have been there for four, almost five years and still little or no progress. We should focus our main support on actual issues that we did not instigate such as Darfur or our own homeland, where our border policy is a joke. I believe we should focus more on our own problems first rather than another country. Bush recently spoke comparing Vietnam to Iraq and in he speech he mentions that Vietnam forces their ideology on other people...I'm sorry but what do you believe we are doing in Iraq trying to get a dictatorship to turn into a democracy for our own benefit. General Patreus's report is coming in September and I believe we should heed what his report brings.


About the Author

Name: Nick
Age: 16
Country: United States
City: St Louis
State: Missouri
Gender: Male

Labels: 10's, foreign policy, iraq war, male, missouri

Dear Global Community,

I believe that the US role in the world should be focused more on international cooperation. The best way to do this, in my mind, would be a more powerful international court and organizations like the UN. This way many countries could take on global problems, such as global warming and other ecological crises, and terrorism. Foreign aid to less developed countries, especially many African countries, from the international organizations could increase trust, and that may be invaluable for future peacekeeping or aide attempts.

In Iraq the US should start to withdraw troops, but not rapidly. Perhaps bringing down the level of troops to around only a few thousand, just enough to train the Iraqi forces. But along with these 'advisers,' units of what today's equal of what was Vietnam's Combined Action Platoons (CAP) to attempt a 'pacification' campaign. From what I have read on CAP they were very successful in winning the hearts and minds of many villages in Vietnam, not working on big unit tactics like Westmoreland tried, but small unit tactics. What is crucial in fighting an insurgency is winning the hearts and minds of the population, and if the CAP could work in Iraq, then these kinds of units should be employed.


About the Author

Name: Stuart
Age: 17
Country: US
City: St. Louis
State: Missouri
Gender: Male
Income: Low

Labels: 10's, foreign policy, iraq war, low income, male, missouri

Dear Global Community,

On August 23, 07 President George W. Bush made a comment to the veterans people that was in the war of Vietnam. I just want to say how stupid Bush is for making a comparison to the war of Vietnam. First of all, I just want for everybody to know that back in the Vietnam war, the communist country of Vietnam people have won the war. American's and other people think that we lost or it's a draw. But, I want our troops to pull out of Iraq, but if President Bush does that, it will be more stupid because it will be like we haven't accomplish anything, then in the future we will be like the Iraqis won the war just like Vietnam.


About the Author

Name: Evan and Josh
Age: 17
Country: U.S
City: St. Louis
State: Missouri
Gender: Male
Income: Medium

Labels: 10's, foreign policy, iraq war, male, medium income, missouri

Dear Global Community,

I believe that the US should focus its resources towards leading the world to a greater state of cooperation. This kind of cooperation could earn the US more respect with the nations that may have reservations about our actions in the past. If all of the powerful nations were to work together to form a international decision making body, much like the UN, weaker nations that might be in poverty, etc. could be raised up by the help of stronger nations. The combined efforts of multiple nations would also do a much better job of assailing the international problems that threaten the US and other nations alike.

If the US were to allow itself to cooperate with other nations, we would be able to be slightly more reserved about issues such as our involvement in Iraq. This decrease in control would decrease anger towards US involvement in Iraq, as well as allowing the US to focus more of its resources on national security issues. Overall, if the US were to push for cooperation in the world, we would ultimately be able to improve our national needs, as well as gain the trust and aid of other nations to help against the international problems of the future.

Concerning the war situation in Iraq, I believe we should focus on being less of an influence. We can work on this by pulling somewhat, and trying to give them some freedom to work out their situation. If we are monitoring and controlling them constantly, they aren't going to develop a solution. We also continue to develop disdain from other countries while we weaken our own resources and economic situation.


About the Author

Name: Jonathan Hodnefield
Age: 16
Country: United States
City: Saint Louis
State: Missouri
Gender: Male

Labels: 10's, foreign policy, iraq war, male, missouri, student

Dear Global Community,

While the United States tries to promote democracy in the rest of the world, our own country is lacking care. The United States has many flaws, but instead we are trying to make the world "flawless" by our standards. Democracy is a concept the United States is trying to promote hoping the reduction of terrorism and other problems. If the United States pulls back and supports our own country's research developments in fields such as alternative fuels, cancer, and other areas can be made. Also strides in our nations economy to help factors such as construction, agriculture, and education, things that make America who we are. When one says protection in the homeland that doesn't mean line up the military and conform every country that has ever hurt us. Protect means to keep the image that we once had, the country that broke away from cruel treatment and succeeded on our own. The United States needs to know the high pedestal we claim to be on does not give us the power to change every country to be just like us. The country that claims diversity is the key is being a hypocrite by trying to stick their noses in every problem that arises.

I feel Iraq is the same problem, but since we are already in Iraq i feel we should pull our troops our little by little. If we pull all our troops out at once then this will cause a problem. Since we have been in Iraq if we leave all of a sudden then Iraq will go back to fighting. So if we pull out a few troops at a time then we can have troops helping the Iraqi people while troops return.


About the Author:

Name: Kirthi Tata
Age: 16
Country: United States
City: Saint Louis
State: Missouri
Gender: Female
Occupation: Student

Labels: 10's, democracy, female, foreign policy, government, iraq war, missouri, student

Dear Global Community,

There currently exists an enormous divide within our great nation between people who wish to change our country for the better and people who don't. Those brave and vigilant enough to speak up about it are being criticized by those who refuse to. I have heard many responses to the constructive criticism of our country, and beyond pointless name-calling, it often involves the assertion that those questioning our government are 'anti-American' and should leave the country if they do not like it. There is nothing wrong with voicing such an opinion, and in fact, the freedom to express it is one of the basic rights that we still have left that continue to make our country great.

But in order to continue the absolutely critical and always necessary discussion and evaluation of our leadership, we must be honest with ourselves. We must step back and look, with neutral objectivity, upon our words and evaluate what they truly mean. To hold such an opinion, that questioning our government is invalid and unnecessary, is to demonstrate not only a complete lack of understanding, but also a contempt for those most basic ideas upon which our nation was founded. This opinion itself is, in fact, not only un-American, but self-destructive.

Our nation was founded by great men with great intelligence that questioned and criticized their government. It is not only the foundation of America's entire way of life, but the foundation of all democracy. America has long led the world by example, but in much of the last few decades, it has set a very poor one. In doing so, it has undermined our basic principles, destroyed the faith in and of our country both within and without, and discredited the very principles of democracy that so embody the American spirit.

We impose our will upon other nations under the guise of freedom, a concept so backwards that it is utterly impossible. Freedom cannot be given. If it is given to a country or a people, then it is done so under the implicit assumption that there is something to be given back in turn, which therefore nullifies the freedom given in the first place. Freedom must be taken, it must be fought for and won, and it must never be given up because it will never be given back again. America has given up it's freedom for the illusion of security.

I get it. America is afraid, and so am I. I am afraid of our government, and the actions it might take against people like me who stand up and question the things they are doing. I'm afraid to write these words, and pass them onto my fellow Americans. I'm afraid of their reactions, that they won't listen, or won't take any action. I'm afraid to post this video to Youtube. I'm afraid that our current situation is hopeless. And yet, here I am, doing what I have to in spite of my fears because I know' not think, KNOW' what I'm doing is right.

The media has betrayed us by assisting those in power in their quest to deconstruct our language. This deconstruction is very important, because it allows tyranny to enter, invited, into our homes under the false impression of good intentions. Once powerful and critically meaningful words like 'freedom,' 'patriot,' and 'terrorism' have been turned into media buzz words. We have seen this type of manipulation before, during other times in other countries, and if we fail to acknowledge and understand history, then we are doomed to repeat it.

It works as follows: first, these powerful words are chosen, because of their significance to the people, by those who wish to extend their reach. These words are then abused, misused, and overused so extremely to the point where they become meaningless. The media is often used, and has been, to enable the nullification of their meanings. Once their true meanings have been completely forgotten, the government is then free to redefine these words however they choose, and to distribute those definitions to an unassuming and unaware population. 'Freedom' becomes the will of the government. 'Terrorist' becomes anyone who speaks out against their government. 'Patriot' becomes an obedient servant to the empire. 'Citizen' becomes subject. 'President' becomes dictator.

Our schools have betrayed us because they have failed to teach us to think critically. They've failed to adequately explain history and stress its importance. They've failed to adequately instill in us the meaning and value of the ideas our country was founded upon, and the great sacrifice that was necessary to do so. Education is no longer a service, it is a business. America gets dumber as the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the powerful become more powerful.

The world has watched this happening and has heard the deafening silence of the American people, who either no longer care about or no longer pay attention to the reality around them. Complacency, inaction, and hopelessness are the enemies of free people, and America is ripe with them.

The objective of our form of government is to empower the people. The Framers constructed our government specifically around the basis that we govern ourselves. It is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and therefore, it is we the people who are ultimately responsible for the actions of our government. Questioning and changing our government for the better is not only our right as Americans, but our undeniable and inescapable duty as members of a self-governing body.


About the author:

Name: Adam
Age: 25
Country: United States
State: Michigan
Gender: Male
Income: Medium
Occupation: Authorized Inspector
Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQAl8jsvyCU

Labels: 20's, democracy, education, foreign policy, freedom, government, inspector, male, media, medium income, michigan, terrorism

Dear Global Community,

I'm posting as a middle aged American. I'm 45 years old and have had the experience of being in a US Marine in my youth and I am now just a simple construction worker. I've been all over the world and I've seen the attitudes of a lot of different cultures and nationalities. In my travels, I noticed that most French people I met had no use for Americans even though we bailed them out of a couple of wars....no biggie....we're used to being crapped on. The surprise I had was that most of the English I met overseas pretty much hated Americans as well. I've never been to England, but I ran into some in Asia and most I ran into were really anti- American, and this was in the cold war Reagan day's....not the "Bush is a dolt" day's..........My heritage is English and I really want to like people from the UK, but I have to admit that I kicked the shit outta one Brit who just twisted me the wrong way in Thailand. I went to Australia and even though there was a anti-nuclear welcoming party to our arrival, most Aussies really seemed to like having us around. I was in Italy, and I gotta say....they were nice and seemed to love us to the extreme. Most liberal people tend to think that everything America does is tied to some grand scheme to somehow mess over some weaker nation, and if that so,sorry. Most citizens of the US just want to freaking get along, and we don't perceive our leaders as evil people. I think you guy's are just seeing things from a standpoint that you are somehow not the alpha dog, which is really sad actually. Even if your country was in that position, you, as an individual really don't have any more power, it just that you perceive that your standing would be improved as a member of a stronger nation. Really, it's pretty sad...

About the Author:

Name: LaRoacha
Age: 45
Country: US

Labels: 40's, americans, anti-americanism, foreign policy, north america

Labels: 40's, consumerism, foreign policy, male, media, medium income, morality, oklahoma, retired

Dear Global Community,

This will be what may turn out to be a dose of hard truth. I am an American, born in the state of Florida and currently residing in the Tri-State area. What I am about to write here constitutes some strong feelings that have been haunting me for nearly eight years now.

I am neither Democrat nor Republican in my political views, I merely believe in common sense. I understand that no candidate is perfect, and each has their flaws and accolades. I am not merely a "Bush Hater" nor an extreme leftist as I would be eagerly branded by my fellow countrymen.

This has got to stop. The President of the United States is the highest office and elected leader can hold in our country, and with this position one is expected to set an example for the country. Our current leader is neither doing this nor is he interested in the well being of it's citizens.

From the time he has taken office, he has summarily lied to his nation nonstop for personal gain and at our expense. This person has waged war on multiple countries under false pretense. This man has orchestrated the greatest acts of treason in our history with the now blatantly obvious orchestration of the 9/11 "terror" attacks.

We are Americans, and we pride ourselves on not falling for fascism. Our country was founded in this very principle in 1776. We fought fascism in both world wars with success, and we stood up to communism and violations of human rights afterwards.

And yet, somehow, we are quickly losing all of the liberties and freedoms our forefathers lost their lives for. Six years ago when these atrocities began to pour in, it was people like myself who blatantly tried to tell our country it was an inside job, and that he was going to try to send us into a never-ending war.

We were short of persecuted as conspiracy nuts, or eliminated as some type of dissenting witch hunt. Four years into his presidency, when he was up for re-election, we had overwhelming proof from all sides that we were already marching into a fascist regime and that all we had to do was simply elect somebody else in order to put a stop to it.

Yet, this man was re-elected for a second term. He spent the first four years lying to us non-stop, and yet we somehow believed him when he said he was telling the truth for re-election. Many of us still believe he is not and has not lied to the very people he has sworn to protect and serve.

Look, even if you still believe that terrorists did in fact attack the world trade center, you still have to ask why we haven't caught the man responsible. Last time I checked, this is what the war on terror was about - Al Quaeda and the capture of Osama Bin Laden. It has been nearly two presidential terms, and we are waging wars in countries that had little to no connection with the WTC attacks.

And as a country, we are allowing it in our names. This is an atrocity at the very best, and absolute treason at it's worst. The man who has sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America has been eroding and eliminating those very same freedoms from day one. At this moment in time, the Bill of Rights has essentially been eliminated, and much of the Constitution itself is under the watchful scrutiny of those who would wish to practice revisionism for their own sake.

We live in an age where information is freely available for the asking. All we have to do is a search on Google, and all of the evidence and proof unfolds. But we simply do not do this for some odd reason.

This inaction reminds me of when Hitler wrote a book called Mein Kampf detailing every single thing he was planning to do and where he stood on issues, available on bookshelves across the country. And still nobody read it, and after the world war, the people who suffered ignorance and apathy told the world that they had no clue he was doing such horrible things; which was a total fabrication sine people clearly did know ahead of time.

Well, now all of the treasonous acts against our country, the lies, the preemptive wars (ignoring Geneva conventions), the concentration camp known as Guantanamo Bay, the calm elimination of our Bill of Rights at his discretion, and so much more go unnoticed by the majority of people in this country.

And for the people that know these things are going on, it is still a shameful act to sit idly by and allow him to continue. Just because you conquered your ignorance does not mean you can still latch onto your apathy as a convenience.

Is witnessing a murder but doing nothing to stop it, and even authorizing it, still a crime even though your weren't the one to commit the murder? Of course it is... so why is it so hard to accept what is going on, and then stand up to it?

Remember, doing nothing but watching as a murderer pulls the trigger makes you just as guilty as doing it yourself. And this is a concept I truly hope hits home with this country.

I still would like to believe that America and it's citizens are not as stupid and apathetic as the rest of the world seems to believe. So far though I have little to disprove the rest of the world, and I simply wish above all else that we as a people finally put our feet down and say enough is enough.

We owe it to our founding fathers.

We owe it to ourselves.

We owe it to future generations.

When my son or daughter looks back in the history books and reads about this time period, and when this child looks me in the eyes and asks his or her daddy what he did during these times to try and stop it - I will say in all honesty "Everything I could."

I believe it's high time the rest of America legitimately make that claim as well, making our forefathers proud. The rest of the world used to look up to us (maybe not the French) and now they see us as a threat to Freedom, Democracy and Liberty.

Pretty ironic since we as a country apparently live by that code. We are simply acting shameful and like cowards. This man, George W Bush, is garnering Unilateral power over America... and no, this is not a good thing. All I am asking is to make some waves, let this administration know their actions will not be tolerated. There is so much more I wish to say in this letter, but I realize that I couldn't possibly cover a fraction of what this man has done in our names.

So I will simply close this open letter to America, hoping that the components which enlighten you, as well as motivate you.

Sincerely,

William Burns III


About the Author

Name: William Burns III
Age: 28
Country: USA
Gender: Male
Occupation: VR Designer
Website: http://www.vr5-online.com

Labels: 20's, florida, foreign policy, history, independent, male, politics, technical, terrorism, war and conflict