The Issues Foreign Policy and National Security
Chris’ Plan for for Foreign Policy and National Security
- Chris
Inside Foreign Policy & National Security
Nearly ten years after American forces invaded Afghanistan, and then Iraq, the time is past due for America to step back and take a hard look at our involvement overseas. America needs to pivot once and for all away from the corrupt foreign policy agenda of the Bush years, and set forth a clear and distinct vision of the foreign policy that will define this decade and decades to come.
Managing a stable transition to Afghan autonomy.
We need to bring our troops home as soon as possible – provided that this withdrawal is done so in a safe, measured, and responsible manner that does not compromise the safety of American interests in the region. A key element of this approach is shoring up the Afghan state and taking steps to ensuring that the institutions in that country are on a path towards transparent, democratic governance that respects the rule of law and the rights of its people. As we work towards an accelerated drawdown of the American presence in Afghanistan, it’s crucial that we focus just as much on what we leave behind as what brought us there in the first place. The Obama administration and lawmakers in Congress must start to prioritize a transfer of political, economic, and peacekeeping responsibility to the Afghan people. An accelerated drawdown is among Chris’s foremost goals in this area – but he believes strongly that we must not break the backs of an already beaten-down Afghan people in the process.
Closing the loop in Iraq and bringing our troops home safely.
The ill-advised Iraq War has wasted trillions in taxpayer dollars, killed thousands of brave Americans and wounded many times that, and has not made our country any safer than it was before the invasion. President Obama understands this, and the declared end to combat operations in Iraq is one of the crowning foreign policy achievements of his Presidency. Chris strongly supports all efforts to fully draw down our boots-on-the ground presence in Iraq – including private security contractors that operate in a legal and ethical gray area. It’s critical that policymakers and military officials withdraw from Iraq with a keen eye to the future of the Iraqi state.
A clear vision for the 21st century.
Perhaps the most profound message to emerge from the various popular uprisings in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and elsewhere is that our preconceived notions surrounding the state of play in the Middle East – and, for that matter, around the globe – need re-examination. It is no longer acceptable to support despots and dictators because it suits the United States’ political or economic interests in the short term. Above all else, elected leaders and government institutions must remain accountable to their people, and violence in the face of uprising will only further delegitimize already-failing states. By demanding transparency and accountability in governments across the globe, and by placing a high priority on economic growth and development that brings entire nations – including women, workers, and racial, ethnic, and religious minorities – into the 21st century, the United States will be well-positioned to lead our civilization into a new era defined by shared prosperity and a mutual respect for a broad range of human rights. America should be seen as a leader in protecting and expanding human rights.
Protecting our civil liberties.
At home, protecting our national security has become the justification for violations of our civil rights and liberties, including the use of warrantless wiretapping, indefinite detention, and invasive scans and pat-downs at our airports – none of which have made our country measurably safer. In Congress, Chris will support effective, common-sense measures that protect the security of our country, without betraying the ideals our country was founded on.
