bolstering the international image of the US

now i'm not an american, so anything i say is as an outsider looking in, but i just wanted to list a few things that the US could do to bolster its international image. i want the americans to tell me if they agree or disagree with any of these and why. like i said, i'm not an american, so if any of these don't make any sense from a domestic standpoint, i want to know. and i want everybody also to add anything else that they think could work.

1. restructuring the armed forces as a true defence force. in other words, a whole lot of disarmament, destroying america's WMD, letting the army's role be defence of america and soverign nations who ASK for aid, removing international US military bases, and defence of american embassies around the world. this includes getting the US out of guantanamo. all of which would cut the 'defence' budget and lead to more money being available for social programmes.

2. complete repeal of the PATRIOT act.

3. restructuring the CIA to improve the quality and veracity of intelligence, and the speed at which threats to US soil are acted upon.

4. complete separation of church and state.

5. federally- or state-assisted universal healthcare i.e. a low-cost citizen's contribution and the government takes care of the rest.

and Welcome to DU!

i've been around awhile, but i don't post much.

America is too proud to take only a reactionary stance to defense. Also, we will continue to have WMD's as long as there is even the remote possibility that some other country or person has them. We will not leave ourselves open to attack.

This is a little extreme but here is an example. If our intelligence has discovered that N. Korea was intending to attack us with ICBMs, hell, lets say that they did. What should we do. Sit around or go on the offensive and attack them and beat them, and then make sure they can't do it again. If we retaliated in any way, it would be considered an offensive move and we would have just invalidated the respect and admiration we would have received from the world if we did as you suggested. If we didnt respond and left it up to the U.N., half the country would revolt and we would have nothing left as a country.

does it make sense to go on the DEfensive? heigtened security, putting the defence force on alert etc. what's your view on that?

If we don't strike back, people will continue to attack us, we may stop the next 500 attacks, but if one got through, it would all have been a waste.

that's striking <i>back</i>...but you're all for preemptive striking in extreme circumstances?

that is just like too common sense. i didnt read any other reply, but your opinion is a lot in line with mine. just dont think it will happen. lol. but sounds good., :thumbsup:

But a lot of America would go ape-crazy over giving up a hugely armed violent military

It's a dangerous world. While I certainly don't agree with the Bush Doctrine of invading any country that looks at us funny, nor do I favor nuetering ourselves in this manner. I'd be fine if this were a goal; that we through being good neighbors and helping otehr nations instead of screwing them created a world where most of our defense structure wasn't necessary. But to start by dismanteling most of our national defense isn't a good plan.

Bryant
check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

we have the best army. and the world may need it sometime. i say flip flop it from evil (not that our soldiers are, but how it is used) to good. that would be our role in life, to use our army for harmony, not invasion, not bullying. it has its place. do it in grace. and i see no reason to keep biological and chemical weapons. we are going to never use them. we had better not. and could give those in good faith,. not hollow out army. that would be our place in the world,. where we were working to before bush. not much change in perception. working for the world, not against

be responsible

that most of the US' national 'defence' is used for offence? prior to 9/11 (if you're not of the MIHOP theory group) wasn't the last foreign attack on US soil at pearl harbour, 60 years prior? do you think there's another way to give the US armed forces a 'friendlier' face in the world? i'd really like to create some discussion here.

Yes it has been used for offense, and clearly in some cases in some really shakey ways (and in some good ways as well).

The fact that there haven't been any attacks could have something to do with MAD and with our enormous offensive capability. I mean stopping something from happening may or not be possible; but ensuring retaliation if it does happen is one way to protect oneself.

But if you are strictly for defensive weapons, what about the Star Wars program or Missle Defense or whatever we are calling it these days? Granted it hasn't worked so far, but if it could be made to work would that be a positive or a negative thing.

I think we'd do better if we acted like Good neighbors instead of bullys. Internally it'd be nice if we realized that the State Department was at least as important as the Defense department.

i'd love to see some more views

The fake two party system both support the imperial ambitions of an all conquoring global "free trade" state. Nobody is voting against
the imperialism except a wise few.

Rather, when an empire is overextended, its credit weakens in trade, and it runs out of money. This imperium is a suffocating burden that
is undisclosed to the american public as an "empire". One day the
government will be bankrupt and the whole thing will fall apart
without a shot fired, just like the USSR collapse.