Thoughts On the National Security and Foreign Policy Visions of Mitt Romney and President Obama…

Less than five months from the 2012 Presidential Election it’s of significant value to begin paying closer attention to the actual details behind both candidates’ respective approaches to the biggest issues facing our nation. Despite not being the most talked about issue of this election cycle, the positions taken by both on foreign policy, national security and defense spending should be highly scrutinized given the vast amounts of life and treasure spent defending and securing the nation since the 2001 launch of the War on Terror.

Eleven years after 9/11, the choice made by Americans at the polls this year will dictate whether there is a neo-conservative revival cloaked in a call for an “American Century”, or whether a complete winding down of the ground wars and a heightened focus on coordinated special intelligence and targeted attacks on terrorist organizations around the world continues to take shape. This critical choice will determine whether our country pursues policies that appear to be adversarial, with a Cold War-era tone, or whether there is a continuing focus on strengthening alliances (such as the NATO effort that saw helped facilitate the overthrow of Gadhafi) through reasoned diplomacy and a common purpose of de-escalating tensions worldwide.

A dissection of the rhetoric and records of both Romney and Obama tells the story of two candidates, one who currently sits in the hot seat, has made the tough calls when the stakes were at their highest (Bin Laden raid), and seen the intelligence reports, while the other has surrounded himself with many of the same actors who drove the policies known as the “Bush Doctrine.” For example, Romney’s website lists as his special advisors the likes of Michael Chertoff, the former United States Secretary of Homeland Security under W. Bush, former NSA and CIA Director Michael Hayden, and Walid Phares, former Director of the Task Force for Future Terrorism at the Department of Homeland Security again under W. Bush. Bottom line, a vote for Romney appears to be a vote to double down on the neo-conservative policies advocated from 2000-2008.

President Obama’s team offers a stark contrast to Romney’s, as well as a vastly different vision for the role of the United States security apparatus overseas and at home. Led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Obama’s national security team has taken targeted anti-terrorism to a whole new level. At the time of this article, only one senior Al Qaeda official remains breathing, and his days look numbered. The Iraq War is over, and troops have begun coming home from Afghanistan. The President’s narrative offers goals such as “common security", "common humanity", and remaining "a beacon of freedom and justice for the world.” There is a focus on promoting peace and security in the Middle East and preserving America’s commitment to the security of Israel.

Romney’s campaign paints a dark portrayal of a world that harps on Cold War fears and a view that Obama seeks to “Hollow” out the United States Military. In reality, no matter what Romney says on his website, it’s simply misleading and disingenuous to say that re-electing the President means “a weak America, an America in decline, an America that retreats from its responsibilities, would usher in an era of uncertainty and danger.” To the contrary, it is likely that terrorist around the world have received the message that Obama will not hesitate to send a drone their way to eradicate the world from threats to our nation and our allies. An honest analysis of Romney’s national defense strategy reveals that he would really do nothing different than W. Bush, and that fear of a straw man version of Obama drives much of the rhetoric spouted by him and his campaign.

Lines such as “President Obama has repeatedly sought to slash funds for our fighting men and women” are simply misrepresentations that make our country less safe and do not reflect the reality of how powerful the United States Military truly is. Frankly, given the bloated defense budget (seven times that of China, and more than the next twenty largest military spenders combined), the argument that our military has weakened over the past three years is simply ludacris. (Defense budget was $530.1 billion in 2010, $549.1 billion in 2011, and estimated to be $553.0 billion for 2012). We should all agree that there are intelligent ways to maintain the greatest fighting force on earth while getting rid of excess spending that further exasperates concerns over the federal debt and balancing our budgets.

In addition, there is simply no need to expand the size of the military unless we plan on engaging in yet another ground war like we saw in Iraq. Any new war mongering at this point should be received with great skepticism and a dose of real concern for the sustainability of our troops both mentally and physically. Does anyone truly have the appetite for war with multiple nations in the name of ending an Iranian nuclear program that has no chance of succeeding to build bombs while under the intense scrutiny and surveillance of the United States and its allies? The GOP seems to have that very vision in mind, in fact Romney’s national security platform reads like a Tom Clancy novel that should concern even the biggest supporters of our military and intelligence endeavors. Do we really want to return to pre-emptive war and isolationism? Do we want to continue building alliances or return to bullying our way through disputes while giving our enemies more mental ammunition to build anti-American terror networks?

Thus, much is at stake this November in addition to jobs and recovering from the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. The foreign policy visions of the candidates tell the story of two different futures for America’s military, and before voting, it is advisable that each one of us educate ourselves and those around us so that we as a nation can understand the ramifications of our collective choice for President. We should each take a hard look at the promises made by the President in 2008, and take a look at the Romney’s plans to revert back to pre-Obama policies. We should look at the tone of the rhetoric from both sides, and compare that rhetoric to the actual facts, look at the defense budget, and also look at how large and capable our military already is. The time has come for us all to look deeper than the pundits on FOX News, CNN, or MSNBC and to begin vetting the candidates without the media filter and based on the real effects of the candidates’ respective positions. National security is a good place as any to begin this important process.

Thoughts on the impact of today’s taking out of Al Qaeda in Iraq leaders by US/Iraqi security forces…

Seven years after the start of the Iraq War, the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming increasingly visible to American Troops, the Iraqi people, and the families on both sides of the conflict. As the Sons of Iraq (SOI) and the Iraqi Defense Ministry (IDM) gradually assume control of their nation’s security, the elimination of the foreign born terrorist threats from Al Qaeda and other fringe groups will be one of their biggest long term hurdles. Because of a vested interest in their failure by Iranian authorities, as well as other anti-west nation states, the SOI and IDM are likely to encounter constant challenges from groups looking to capitalize on a perceived power vacuum. Ultimately, the fate of the Iraqi people will lie in their desire to unite as a country and bridge their very own complicated divides.

The gunning down of Al-Masri and Al-Baghdadi is an important achievement in the path towards potential stability in Iraq. Both men were directly tied to Osama Bin Laden, and Al-Masri was an import from Egypt whose death exposed high level correspondence which may provide the vital leads we have been missing in the hunt for top Al Qaeda leadership. Al Qaeda in Iraq was created by outsiders after the beginning of the war, and the elimination of this primarily external threat could provide the SOI and IDM with the empowerment necessary to secure the Iraqi population. Their counter-terror training, along with their side by side teamwork with members of the US Military, will allow them to effectively decipher future threats to their country.

As we draw down our troop presence, we must be mindful of the difficult journey taken by so many to reach this point. When President Bush declared “Bring em’ on,” little did he know that his fiery rhetoric would lead disenfranchised Iraqi’s to take up arms against our mission as liberators, and little did he know that an Al Qaeda presence, which didn’t exist previously, would be created to capitalize on his words and an increasingly susceptible population of former Iraqi Republican Guardsmen and Baath Party Members. Coupled with an influx of radical Islamic and anti-western clerics, the recipe for what transpired over the past decade became apparent to everyone who was watching closely.

Under the Obama Administration, and during the post-Surge era of the Bush Presidency, there has been a concerted effort to unify the Iraqi population and to bring in all religions/sects into the emerging political structure. By empowering all Iraqi’s to have a stake in their own futures, we can help them plant the seeds of a prosperous economic future and successfully transition into an era of partnership with a freely elected, all inclusive Iraqi Government. Today’s eradication of these leaders was a big step amongst many taken and needed, but much work is left to be done between now and the planned exit of American forces later this year.

Thoughts on education and our future progress...

There is an educational paradigm facing the United States of America. Every time a student drops out of high school or college, the collective intelligence and prosperity of the entire nation suffers, and the future of that individual becomes statistically bleak. According to the UN Education Index, the United States ranks at a dismal 19th in educational attainment. This is unacceptable by our lofty standards, and hints at a cynical standpoint by some who claim that we have the best educational system in the world. The bottom line is that unless we address the standards by which we judge a good education, from teachers and parents, to the student loan system, we will continue to see rising underemployment and unemployment in this country. Given this fact, it is useful for us to address the learning deficit problem head on.

This criticism of our educational system acknowledges that there are also exceptions to the status quo. There are many great schools in America, primarily in well off districts, which have high graduation rates and send a majority of their students to college. But, this is not the case in many less fortunate school districts across America. The truth is that many middle and lower income communities have an educational crisis on their hands. Minority populations, in particular African Americans and Hispanics, are falling too far behind, collectively graduating approximately 53% (according to the Alliance for Excellent Education) of high school students in 2009; A rate that is 19% lower than that of their White and Asian counterparts. Not only are thousands of public school budgets in the red, Federal programs, such as No Child Left Behind, are in need of increased funding and improved direction.

As America slowly climbs out of this recession, the heart of the recovery lies in our unified ingenuity and ambitions. We have a collective responsibility and a vested interest in creating an environment where learning and continuing education are the norm. In order to compete globally today and in the future, our educational standards must rise, and our tolerance for ignorance must shrink. The facts of the matter are staggering. As states make tough financial decisions regarding education budgets, the numbers tell us that the future success of a majority of Americans lies greatly on the education level attained by that individual.

According to recent polling data, there is a direct link between underemployment, unemployment and a citizen’s education level. Though there are always exceptions to the norm, the collected data tells this highly predictable story. A recent article by Gallup states that amongst the underemployed, “the underemployment picture for those without a high school diploma is even bleaker. They currently face a 36.2% underemployment rate, and are 50% more likely than high school graduates to be underemployed, three times more likely than those having a college degree, and four times more likely than those who have done postgraduate work. High school graduates are twice as likely as college graduates to be underemployed.” These numbers are identical in proportion to overall unemployment. These staggering figures also show why it is imperative that we tackle the problem of preparing our citizenry for global competition. If graduation levels do not improve, with an emphasis on all subjects, we will continue to see falling tax revenues and an increased need for hiring foreign talent to work in jobs that will not go to an unprepared American job force. Our interests in all sectors of the economy are at risk if the government does not act. Take healthcare, the majority of the increasing number of the uninsured are those who are unemployed or working part time shifts. To buck the costly trend towards increased underemployment, we need our schools to produce a better educated workforce capable of creating opportunities for the next generation who should aspire to do great things in America.

Going forward, it will be important for our schools to put students in a better position to succeed. Along with encouraging responsible parenting, we need to examine nationwide curriculum standards with an emphasis on building up the weakest links on the educational chain. As mentioned in my previous article, the return of nearly 8 to 10 Billion dollars per month of taxpayer money to the treasury, following the end of the Iraq War, will provide much needed funds for an educational system in dire economic straits. Along with updating the standards set in No Child Left Behind, actions taken to address state budgetary issues will provide a much needed boost to schools underperforming and/or on the brink of closure.

Today, President Obama signed legislation which will take big steps to remove bank greed from the student loan process. This law, coupled with changes to the health care reform bill, sets limits on the interest rates and minimum payments for those who are taking part in this expanded federal student loan program. In addition, the fact that many middle and lower income families will now have an added incentive to push their children to the college level, because of an even financial playing field for all Americans seeking student loans for continued education ,will encourage a culture of learning and innovation in minority communities nationwide.

America’s ambitious students deserve an honest bi-partisan effort to reform the educational system. As the Iraq War winds down, and resources become available to solve the problems facing our schools, let’s hope that our leaders will realize the urgency of renewing America’s intellectual status worldwide. We must use these incoming funds wisely. The education of our citizenry is a matter of national interest that must be addressed both immediately and responsibly. In the upcoming months, we should keep a close eye on the education debate. The time has come to bring the American educational system into the 21st century for all citizens, not just the elite and/or fortunate few. The future viability of American progress is at stake, and our ability to lead globally lies in addressing the paradigm facing our educational system.

Thoughts on war and the domestic agenda of the United States…

Upon analysis of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2011, it has become obvious that the priorities of the United States are in great jeopardy due to massive debt incurred from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only have over 4,000 servicemen (including my first cousin) and women died in the war on terror, but over 30,000 will return home with life altering battle wounds. In addition, billions in taxpayer dollars have disappeared due to mismanagement by hired contractors, overpayment to companies like Halliburton, and corruption by those who are responsible with using these funds appropriately as directed.

Unfortunately for taxpayers, the war debt created by the Bush Administration has now come due, and with heavy interest. This year alone, it is estimated that US taxpayers will foot a bill of nearly 200 billion dollars for debt incurred over the past decade. Our military budget is 1.2 Trillion dollars this year, and the fact that war spending was billed as a separate budget entity under President Bush, only recently to be included in the full budget, demonstrates the degree to which fiscal irresponsibility was ignored in the name of fighting the “axis of evil” abroad.

The Obama Administration, despite escalating troop levels to finish the fight in Afghanistan, has already begun to reign in wasteful defense spending. Not because they intend to back down to outside threats, but because the cost of waging war for nine years has taken a critical toll on the domestic agenda here at home. Programs such as Social Security and Medicare are at risk because we are spending nearly $10 billion a month fighting overseas. To date, the Iraq War has cost over $740 billion. In comparison, Afghanistan, the true stomping grounds of the 9/11 planners, has cost a mere $260 billion or one-third of Iraq. In all, over one trillion dollars have been spent on anti-terror based operations, and only now are we truly focused on finishing the job of dusting off the Taliban and capturing Al Qaeda leadership.

In stark contrast, W. Bush’s father was able to wage the first Gulf War at a total cost of $62 billion, including returning our troops home to safety upon completion of the mission. W, as opposed to his father, declared victory, but then chose to extend the conflict into an ambitious nation building operation. This decision was made with budgeting practices which ignored the long term viability of such an action. As the price of the War in Iraq skyrocketed, it became apparent that defense spending was spiraling out of control. Thus, the Bush Administration told the Pentagon to scrap unnecessary projects, such as a new fleet of Presidential helicopters, in a shallow attempt to appear frugal.

With defense spending dominating budgetary matters, the mainland American public was suffering dire economic consequences. From unregulated banks, Wall Street greed, and an exploding housing bubble, there is no denying that fighting two wars, while largely ignoring the home front, ultimately led us to near chaos in late 2008. While it cost taxpayers over $390,000 to deploy a solider abroad, middle class and lower income families saw their wages remain stagnant amidst inflation in healthcare costs and gas prices that peaked near $6 dollars a gallon at the height of the Iraq War.

In a sense, our country has not only lent its heart, soul, and children to fight these wars, we’ve sacrificed a decade worth of monetary progress to avenge a savage act on our soil. To debate the necessity of the Iraq War is futile; as it is coming to an end as you read this, but there is no doubt that the American people are less well off because of the irresponsible manner in which it was conducted. Our reputation abroad was damaged because of holes in the game plan, and the proximity of the conflict to Iran and Israel has allowed tensions to reach a boil. This brewing conflict took center stage, while our education, healthcare, and immigration systems required attention that was not being given to them.

Now is the time for us to focus on the problems that are right under our noses. President Obama has begun to draw down the troop levels in Iraq, diverting additional resources to the fight in Afghanistan, and setting his sights on 9/11 and Al Qaeda. The eventual return of a majority of our armed forces to the mainland will have a dramatic effect on the morale of the country, and aid in our ability to handle tough domestic issues. Going forward, it will be vital to refocus on building an America that is ready to lead both militarily and intellectually in the 21st century.

We need to become a healthier nation from a mental standpoint, and we need to reevaluate what kind of country we want to be going forward. Are we to be defined by our wars or by our ideas? Are we going to be a nation that fears the future, or relishes it? These questions are important to think about as we witness new foreign and domestic policies begin to take form. It will be in the vested interest of all Americans to take note of the impact of a less confrontational world view on our perception abroad, as well as the effects of having an extra $10 billion per month to use for domestic purposes.

Though in the end these wars we have waged are but a blip in the violent history of the world, we must realize that this is our time to regroup as a nation. The decisions that are made by our leaders going forward will ultimately define all of our futures. For this reason, we must all agree that no matter what our petty differences may be, our common needs do not change because we are at war. It is because of this fact that future wars must be fought within the realm of financial reason. Ultimately, we cannot afford to fight preemptively if it means bankrupting our nation again. The time has come to take note of what has happened to us, and to avoid repeating history in the future.

Addendum I: Effects of ending the War in Iraq: The successful return home of the brave soldiers stationed in Iraq should have short term positive boost on the morale of the entire nation. It will be our responsibility to help our biggest patriots mesh into the non-war world. We have to remember that this has been the longest War we have fought in several lifetimes, so it will be difficult even for the strongest minded of our troops to adapt to the calmness of daily life in America. In addition, a decline in tension between the US and Iran may be possible some time down the road given that much of the current day paranoia expressed by the President of Iran is due to our proximity to their border and their fear of American imperialism. Finally, world markets should welcome the renewed flow of billions more in domestic spending to renew the American economy, leaving the potential for a late 90's type boom.