Foreign Policy

I believe in a strong national defense. But I also believe in a peaceful and cooperative foreign policy. I do not support preemptive wars, the policing of foreign countries by the US military, or nation building.

For a war to be justified, our government must convince me of two things:

• The "enemy" poses a credible threat to the American people
• By sending our troops into harm's way, that threat is greatly reduced

When I'm convinced those two statements are true, then I will support declaring war, committing the troops and money necessary, winning the war, and getting out.

For the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, however, I believe that neither of these statements are true. Therefore, I support an immediate and orderly withdrawal of military and civilian personnel, and I will not support further fund appropriations for these wars.

We should take lessons from history when it comes to nation building. Take Iran for example. In the '50s we overthrew the government and placed the Shah in power. If George W. was there, we would have seen a "Mission Accomplished" banner. But what happened after that? The corrupt Shah ravaged the country, and was eventually deposed. Almost 30 years after the hostage crisis, the government and people of Iran still harbor animosity towards Americans.

But then take Vietnam. The attempt to build an American style democracy failed miserably. Now, three decades later, they have resolved many of their problems. Vietnam is now a peaceful and prosperous nation. They enjoy normalized relations with US, China, and Russia; three countries that tried to tear their country apart.

The lesson is that the people of each country will eventually determine their own destiny. The price we've paid for this lesson is tremendous. To continue ignoring the lesson would be a tragedy.