But wikileaks and New START have made it impossible for me to stay quiet any longer. There's just too much to talk about, and so I'll try to hit on some important topics.
American foreign policy for the last decade has been dominated by the politics and crises in the Middle East. There's a war in Iraq; there's a war in Afghanistan (geographically not the Middle East, but the ties to the region are obvious); there's a constant crisis in Israel and what may become Palestine; there's instability in Lebanon; terrorists in Yemen; and nuclear reactors in Iran. Oh yes, there's a lot of oil...almost everywhere.
Increasingly, the Middle East looks like the Muddled Enigma. Did we win in Iraq? Are we winning in Afghanistan? Can we ever get crazy Israelis and crazy Palestinians to cooperate like sane Israelis and sane Palestinians want to? Is Saudi Arabia helping us curb terrorism or funding it elsewhere? Does Iran have a nuke yet, if not, when's that going to happen and more importantly, how can we prevent it? WHAT'S GOING ON?
These questions and problems are - obviously - paramount to our national security, and also directly linked to our current domestic problems. The continuing cost of our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't exactly helping close the budget deficit.
But America can take some big steps towards fixing it's foreign problem right here at home. For starters, Congress can ratify the New START treaty which would go a long way towards building Russia support for tougher action on Iran. I don't need to tell you that preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is one of America's (and the world's) primary security concerns. A nuclear Iran would provide a direct threat to the stability and peace of an already unstable region, and the potential for nuclear dissemination into the hands of terrorists is a truly scary possibility. In the most blunt terms, nuclear Iran = very, very bad. Securing Russia's support is vital. Ratify New START.
Even more importantly, the most recent wikileaks reveal how imperative it is that America ends our addiction to foreign oil. We funnel money to Saudi Arabia for that sticky, black goop, but while we use the oil to make the planet dirty, the money we send overseas is used to buy weapons that kill Americans. We are quite literally buying guns for the enemy. This truly unbelievable paradox is one that we can fix quite easily in Washington, DC by implementing a gas tax. Many people are upset that their tax dollars are used to fund things with which they disagree, but I'm furious that every time I buy gas, I'm helping a nutjob Jihadist purchase a shiny new RPG. Tax gas, do it now, no questions.
For America to project its power in the world we have to be taken seriously. But why is Russia going to take us seriously about stopping Iran's nuclear program when we won't even agree to an arms deal with them? How are our Middle Eastern allies going to take the steps to fight terrorism in their countries when they know that Americans are helping to fund those terrorists through our oil addiction?
These are problems we can fix. No one wants Iran to have nuclear weapons, but if we're going to lead the charge, we need to show the world we're serious by taking the steps to reduce and modernize our own nuclear stockpile. Terrorism is a major concern for many of the world's industrialized country, but we can go on killing terrorists in perpetuity until we find a way to address the real issues, one of which is our oil-driven involvement in the politics of the Middle East.
It's time to start taking steps at home to strengthen America abroad. So after we figure out taxes, I want New START and I want a gas tax because I want a stronger America at home and abroad.
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