America: World Police

When I say 'America', what's the first thing that comes to mind? Military prowess? Economic superiority? Greatness? I agree with all three of these statements and more. The following blog is taken almost directly from a speech I wrote for my 10th grade accelerated lit and comp class; it's a persuasive speech in favor of the U.S. becoming a regulatory force throughout the world. In the sake of simplicity, I'm going to make more of an ordered list/outline, because the speech was 5 minutes on the whole.
Without much further ado, my speech.

I. Reasoning for implementing such a policy
- Many nations as of late have been shying away from an assertive foreign policy, leaving a power vacuum that needs to be filled.
Ex: The UK’s misadventure in Somalia (’93) led to their inaction against the genocide in Rwanda a year later (1 million casualties resulted. Now after the Iraq War “debacle”, many fear they will fall into another relapse of foreign policy under their new Prime Minister Brown.
Ex: A German parliamentary conference on 1/10/08 came to the conclusion that German foreign policy lacks interest in both the minds of the people, and the Parliament. The head speaker said that German foreign policy is going through a "switzerlandization" phase (leaning towards neutrality).
- Through the U.S.'s military action, economic aid can be restored those in need by nations who refuse to help out through militaristic means.
Ex: The U.N. has recently made a statement saying that over 100,000 Kenyans are in need of emergency care following post-electoral violence. And just today, FOX News released an update on the situation in Kenya, saying that the tribal warfare has already left 800 dead since December.
- This would be an easy policy to implement because most nations throughout the world have grown accustom to harboring U.S. troops.
Ex: Since 1950, 54 countries have had more that 1,000 American troops in them at any one time.
Ex: America has 702 bases in 130 countries worldwide with over 253,000 military personnel deployed.
Ex: And as a bonus, U.S. military installations actually benefit the surrounding locals. Over 44,000 natives globally are hired by the U.S. to manufacture products for them.

II. America could drastically improve the current situations in Africa
- The genocide in Darfur could be swiftly ended through U.S. military presence and action. Over 450,000 have already been killed and 2.5 million have been displaced.
- The removal of corrupt dictators would improve the conditions for those who are being oppressed.
Ex: Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda, is currently leading the genocide of the Acholi people.
+ Uganda is also the source of Invisible Children; children recruited into the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). These kids learn to fight and kill ruthlessly at a very young age.
III. It is imperative that the war on terror continues
- The U.S. already has troops stationed in the Middle East.
Ex: 160,000 in Iraq and 30,000 in Afghanistan.
Ex: There are 5 permanent military bases planned for Iraq in the future.
- Depending on the source, the kill ratio of American soldiers to terrorist insurgents is 1:3 - 1:10. This means that America is winning the battles, but the war must continue on.
- War with neighboring Middle Eastern nations seems almost imminent.
Ex: The nuclear-bound nation of Iran. Diplomatic missions have failed, so it looks like the only solution will be military action.

Now as the world continues on its way, will its nations have what it takes to rise up together as a united front to defend the people of Earth from its multitude of threats, or will America have to rise to the occasion, take the world by the hand, and lead it into a new era of peace and prosperity? I favor the latter.

I received a 94% on this speech, what would you give me?
And the topic is open for discussion, so if anyone's reading this, feel free to argue for or against this policy.

What's the deal with Ron Paul?

Surely I'm not the only one out there wondering what this Ron Paul character is all about, right? I mean, surely we've all heard of him on the news and certainly online, but what are Ron Paul's values and where does he stand on the political stage? Well, I'm here to give you an overview of this Texas congressman so you can make an informed decision as to whether you like him or not.
Let's start with some background info on Ron Paul's life and his character. Born in 1936 in a small town in Pennsylvania, Ron Paul lived a seemingly normal childhood. Congressman Paul graduated from Gettysburg College with his bachelor's in 1957, he then went on to Duke University School of Medicine where he graduated with his M.D. four years later. Using his skills in medicine, Dr. Paul enlisted as a flight surgeon in the mid-1960s with the U.S. Air Force. His knowledge then carried over into his personal life outside the army when Ron and his wife moved to Texas to start his own medical practice. Specializing in obstetrics/gynecology, Ron Paul has delivered over 4,000 babies. Dr. Paul has 5 children of his own and 17 grandchildren. Ron Paul is also a Baptist, like myself.
Now onto Paul's political life. Congressman Paul served as the U.S. Representative from Texas from '76-'77, '79-'85, and '97-present. Over the years that Dr. Paul has been in office, there have been many contradictory statements made about him and his philosophies. Some Representatives compare Paul to the Founding Fathers, while many frown upon his Constitutional beliefs and unrelenting push for a more limited government power. Ron Paul is against embryonic research and abortion, for he has voted against the two subjects on numerous occasions. According to his website, Ron Paul has never voted to hike up taxes, enforce federal gun control, raise congressional pay, or to provide more power to the executive branch (president). Paul has voted against the Patriot Act, regulation of the internet, and the Iraq War. He has shown trends of support toward homosexual rights and the legalization of hemp. As far as foreign policy goes, it appears that Ron Paul believes America should stay completely out of everything not related to itself. He has stated that there is no Constitutional authority for the U.S. to go into Darfur or Sudan and that any preemptive strikes on another nation are "not part of the American tradition". Basically, Ron Paul wants to bring America back to its roots and away from the Bush regime, while make the U.S. into less of an "empire" and making financial reforms.
Now, why is it that we've heard so much about this Texan Representative? Part of it maybe me from his spontaneous online following and record holding $6 million dollars raised online in a 24 hour period. On his website, you can see Paul's current donation statistics which can be quite staggering. What also makes Ron Paul such an interesting candidate are his constitutional based beliefs, unlike that of any other politician of the day. Nicknamed "Dr. No" by his fellow colleagues, Paul compares most decisions he makes to his morals and the Constitution. Now with the caucus season in full swing, we'll have to see how Ron Paul does. Obtaining 10% of the Republican vote last week at the Iowa caucus (3% behind Thompson and McCain) and with a national poll vote of around 10%, Ron Paul has some work to do, but if he continues his avid campaign online and on the national stage, he just might have what it takes. But sources point towards no.
If you have any other questions about Ron Paul, feel free to ask them of me in a comment below.

Thanks to:
www.ontheissues.org
www.dailypaul.com
www.ronpaul2008.com
www.cnn.com

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