Issue Position: Economics

Issue Position

In our current economy the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. According to the American Demographics magazine, the average U.S. Household spends almost $90 a day on goods and services. We are losing our middle class and have the potential to become a third world nation. To prevent economic disaster, we must create a new economy where everyone is taken care of and we can look to new technologies to better our lives. For human beings to adapt to our changing circumstances, our economics will need to be changed. If we are to truly grow and achieve a decent standard of living for everyone, we need to rethink how we perform business. There are limits to free enterprise that are not usually accounted for in our current capitalist system. Therefore, we need to create a new form of capitalism, Hybrid Capitalism. In this system Government will compete with corporations with national industries. The work week will be shorter, to increase employment opportunities. People will cooperate, instead of compete, to solve problems we face. Most importantly, we will begin to value our most precious resource our country has to offer, our humanity! Foreign Policy We envision a safe and secure Iraq where the people can live without fear. Iraq's problems can be mitigated using Humanitarian Aid and U.N. Support. Safe-zones can be constructed to begin the process of peace making in the region. An advanced rail system can be constructed along the corridor from Basrah to Baghdad. The borders need to be secured around the safe-havens and around the country as a whole. The most precious resource the Iraqis have needs to be protected. We envision a future where Iraq will help provide oil to the world when we need it most. Now, they need us most. They need us to provide a new strategy in Iraq, a strategy that will not put more of our men and women in harms way, but will create a peaceful place for Iraqis to live. Then, we can begin to withdraw our troops, knowing we have fulfilled our vision and secured the peace. The war in Iraq has already cost $600 Billion! Most Americans want our Foreign Policy to change toward Iraq. The only way to succeed in Iraq is to clarify our intentions. We need a plan of action that leads to the security of our troops and the economic stability of the region. The primary objective of our presence in Iraq should be to ensure the safety of the Iraqi people. Due to increased sectarian violence, it has become progressively difficult for our soldiers to achieve this goal. Simply sending more of our brave troops into harms way will not remedy the situation. Mistakes have occurred by fighting the enemy on their terms. Instead, we need to engage in this battle on our terms. This will only be possible if we implement a new strategy in Iraq. A new strategy should create safe havens where Iraqis can begin to communicate their differences. Outside of Baghdad, a weapons-free zone can be created where Iraqis can flourish. This operation will allow Iraqis to withdraw from the cities in Iraq that are spawning insurgent activities. By establishing this community, we will ensure that Iraqis who choose to live here can live free of the violence of terrorism. Relocated Iraqis can begin to build a village that can grow into a new super-secure city. This safe haven will be surrounded by American troops to ensure that no weapons enter the protected area. American soldiers will be stationed on the border of the community to allow the Iraqis within a sense of autonomy. Eventually, American troops will be replaced with Iraqi soldiers who feel compelled to protect the city they helped build. Most of the problems in Iraq are centered in Baghdad. The real problem we are facing is urban terrorism. Terrorists disappear in the maze of alleyways where they hide in the shadows. They have turned Baghdad into a frightening place where little hope can prosper. Iraqis no longer feel safe sending their children to school, traveling to work, or simply going to the grocery store. We need to create a safe place for Iraqis to live peacefully. Democracy thrives when people are able to communicate freely. When the Iraqis start communicating across different segments of their population, they can begin to address the problems related to varying sectarian beliefs. Sectarian differences are longstanding in this region. These differences can be resolved, but only under the right circumstances. This will only happen in a place where Iraqis feel safe and secure. When there is no threat of violence, the doors to communication will open. Then, they will pave the pathway toward peace. The Democrats and Republicans have no exit strategy that makes any sense for America. The lives of thousands of Men and Women who have died for Democracy shall not be in vain! At Cool Rock, we have a plan to bring the troops home with dignity, to guard our borders. By redeploying our troops out of Iraq and placing them at our borders, we are ensuring their safety, while supporting our security. However, I am not about to have our Nation cut and run from its responsibilities. Frankly, that is Un-American! The infrastructure we have created in Iraq will take over two years to remove. During this time, we will implement a new strategy of containment for Iraq. Our Peace plan could provide "Safe-zones" for refugees that are fleeing this expanding crisis. We can fight this War on our terms. By creating "safe-zones" with limited troop involvement, we can automate our presence in the Middle East. We will engage the enemy with a new force of Automated Drone weaponry, much like the Predator. These unmanned forces can secure regions we are protecting. The current administration has done nothing to protect the Iraqis most valuable asset- their large oil supply. This resource can help the Iraqi people rebuild their nation. Oil is a precious resource, not only for the Iraqi people, but for the world as a whole. As oil reserves are beginning to dwindle worldwide, we need to take steps to guarantee their existing supply. Therefore, we must protect the oilfields and pipelines in Iraq. We need to contain these areas as well. Where the oil fields lie near the border region, we will expand the border zones to ensure the oil fields lie within these protected areas. The oil fields need to be managed by experts to secure it and refine it. Therefore, we will ask the United Nations to secure oil fields that are unable to be contained in the border project. By working together, we can help the Iraqi people rebuild and secure their oil refining capacity and we will oversee a fair and equitable distribution of one of the World's last strategic oil reserves. Oil is a world resource and should be protected. There has been ample evidence in Foreign Policy Reviews that stated that a ground War was not winnable. I never supported initializing a War in Iraq. However, I believe that diplomacy can still be pursued.

Source