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,

I was going thru some of the letters that were submitted and just wanted to voice my opinion about a few things. But first, a thing or two about myself. I'm a Southerner here in the States and a Republican as well. I voted for President Bush and I support his policy on Iraq as well as Iran.

I think that President Bush was right to go into Iraq. He tried to go the diplomatic route, but it didn't work. He tried to go thru the United Nations, but all the wanted to do was the same thing they'd been doing for over a decade. Give empty warnings to Iraq. Saddam had been committing atrocities for years in that country, and what did the UN do about it? Nothing. He was accumulating weapons of mass destruction. And it wasn't just the intelligence agency of America saying so. France and Britain and a host of other countries. So in my opinion, President Bush didn't have a choice in the matter. It was either address the issue, or sit back and do nothing until we had another Hitler on our hands.

As for Iran, I honestly can't understand how anyone in this world could fault us for taking an aggressive stance with them. Who could possibly think that a nuclear Iran wouldn't be dangerous? And besides, we've tried the diplomatic route by offering them aid, financial assistance, lifting trade embargos, etc etc. And yet their leader continues to spew rhetoric about how they have a right to nuclear power.

And lastly, I do agree with the people who've mentioned that America shouldn't be the world's police. But frankly, I don't see anybody else stepping up to the plate to do it.


About the Author

Name: Larry
Age: 36
State: Alabama
Gender: Male
Income: Medium
Occupation: Technical

Labels: 30's, alabama, iraq war, male, medium income, middle east policy, republican, technical, united nations