You want issues? (1) Ending Israeli occupation and the creation of a "Palestianian homeland".
Something the US can influence but I don't think its possible for us to just impose a position on both parties and have it be peaceful and stable.
(2) An energy policy that deals with BOTH demand and supply in global and domestic terms.
I'd rather have not much in the way of an energy policy, or an extensive government policy in most other areas of the economy.
(3) An environmental policy that grasps the fact that we have serious and worsening global greenhouse gas problems related to excessive energy consumption -- requiring a series of tough and enforceable environmental agreements with the world's other leading polluters.
That's a lot of words, but it doesn't add up to a very specific meaning. If one assumes the meaning is to support something like Kyoto or something even more restrictive, so far the evidence of massive harm or likely massive harm isn't enough to support causing certain massive harm by going along with such restrictive policies on CO2.
(4) A war on terror that deals not only with identifying "bad guys" and calling in air strikes and/or invading other countries, but rather targets the causes of terrorism, including foreign military occupation, poverty and human rights abuses.
Lots of places have been poor, and had tons of human rights abuses, or even been occupied by a foreign power without any severe terrorism problem resulting. Those are the causes of terrorism. They are conditions that help it, and they are conditions that should be addressed when we can reasonably do so, but that doesn't mean we should stop using military force against the "bad guys" when we have a good opportunity to do so.
(5) Fiscal responsibility.
This is one area where I agree with you, at least to the extent that I would like to see more of it from our government. However I would want to achieve it with less spending, not tax increases.
(6) An education policy that recognizes that an educated workforce is the only lasting source of a high standard of living while at the same time recognizing that the size and quality of global pools of talent is going to grow and provide indirect benefits as well as challenges.
Just about every education policy, including the current one, recognizes the importance of education. But actually making a noticeable and lasting positive change isn't easy. Mediocre policies are the norm and will probably continue to be the norm. In any case even with the increasing involvement of the feds this is still mainly a state and local issue, and it should remain so IMO.
(7) A multilateral policy on nuclear proliferation that is adequately funded to tie up loose nuclear materials and to restrain the deployment of nuclear talent.
Care to flesh that out a little. You want funding, and a multi-lateral policy, but what actual policy do you want multilateral support and funding for?
Tim |
