MP3: Edwards on Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations today

[be inspired]

John Edwards made a major speech on foreign policy today at the Council on Foreign Relations. His bold vision for foreign policy emphasizes diplomacy and international outreach over violence. He outlined a plan to reform the military, making it both stronger and more cost effective.

You can download an MP3 of most of the speech here. It's a big file (41 MB). Most of the speech is there, but unfortunately, the first minute or two is missing.

Here are just a few excerpts from his amazing speech:

The war on terror is a slogan designed only for politics, not a strategy to make America safe. It’s a bumper sticker, not a plan. It has damaged our alliances and weakened our standing in the world. As a political “frame,” it’s been used to justify everything from the Iraq War to Guantanamo to illegal spying on the American people. It’s even been used by this White House as a partisan weapon to bludgeon their political opponents. Whether by manipulating threat levels leading up to elections, or by deeming opponents “weak on terror,” they have shown no hesitation whatsoever about using fear to divide.

Remforming the military:

The military has gone a long way in making sure that it’s capable and prepared to fight humanitarian crises, as we saw when it provided aid to the victims of the Pacific Ocean tsunami. But this aid is often imbalanced. We’ve got one agency on steroids—the Pentagon—while the civilian agencies are on life support. As president, I will help rebalance the delivery of civilian services throughout the federal government.

Another great quote:

Today we need great principles, moral courage, and, above all, a vision—of a tomorrow that is better than today, of a world where the power of example is mightier than the sword.

We need a strong military for a new century, and we need one based on hope, not fear. As Robert F. Kennedy once wrote, "Our answer is the world's hope." Our answer is the world's hope. We will need imagination and courage to imagine great possibilities, to create a world where terrorism belongs to the past. We must, at the same time, rely on our heritage: a time when we were admired by the world, where we shared, with generosity and good faith, our ideals of truth, justice, and equality.

Full text of remarks as prepared for delivery.

[Carolina Voice]

1. That was one great speech!

And, he customarily makes great speeches! It was more than exciting to listen to it. It was exhilarating.

[dk2]

2. Edwards with Blitzer

Edwards was strong and stright forward today.

The speech and the answers to W. Blitzer were great.

Thanks for sharing the audio.

[ashlarah]

3. A speech made by a real leader

I believe that was Jacob Weisberg from Slate Magazine introducing Sen. Edwards. He noted that all the candidates were invited to speak before the CFR and Sen. Edwards is the first to do so. Weisberg said he was impressed with the depth of understanding and originality on foreign policy shown in the previous Edwards speeches he had heard.

There was a copious number of ideas in this speech: ideas that are mature, compassionate and far-reaching. His formula of "smart power" would take us back to being the world leader we used to be and want to be. We have been so busy over-reacting to and then getting trapped in Iraq that we have neglected our moral center. That center is what will bring the next international generation back to the US and the rule of law. The GWOT sledgehammer has crushed the international trust we once enjoyed.

We should counteract that destruction to that trust by doing what Edwards proposes: having a foreign policy that recognizes that fighting world poverty is a security issue for America. We should do everything to help with primary education in Africa, the muslim world and Latin America. Of course, we should take measures to help with water and sanitation crises throughout the world and other preventive health actions. And if we ourselves don't respect the rule of law (habeus corpus, no cruel and unusual punishment, search warrants, for example) then how can we ask anyone else to?

I was gratified to hear him say that he does not view the International Criminal Court or the United Nations as constraints: he views them as opportunities. It shows not only a respect for the rule of law, but that he respects what other peopole in the world think.

When we have President Edwards, I'm looking forward to the accomplishments of "Marshall Corps" and a return to respect for law.
I sure wish he was already president. Judging from the question from the person who started to address him as "Mr. President", I am not the only one with that wish.

I know our military has been severely stressed and abused in the last six years. The plans Sen. Edwards talked about today to reset the military sounded good to me, but I don't have the expertise to judge as much as Lieutenant General Michael A. Hough, U.S. Marine Corps (ret.):

"The plan Sen. Edwards is announcing today would help America’s military rebuild from the last six years and address the challenges of the new century," said Lieutenant General Michael A. Hough, U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) "Most importantly, I believe the plan demonstrates Edwards would make an excellent commander-in-chief."

http://johnedwards.com/news/press-releases/20070523-military-advisory-group

[be inspired]

4. Good points.

If he is elected and adopts his foreign policy, it sounds like our foreign policy and military policy will receive a major overhaul and be brought much more in line with what I think we ought to be doing. I thought his speech today was very impressive.

[CGowen]

5. U.S. Uses Tsunami to Military Advantage in Southeast Asia

]Remforming the military:

The military has gone a long way in making sure that it’s capable and prepared to fight humanitarian crises, as we saw when it provided aid to the victims of the Pacific Ocean tsunami. But this aid is often imbalanced. We’ve got one agency on steroids—the Pentagon—while the civilian agencies are on life support. As president, I will help rebalance the delivery of civilian services throughout the federal government.

The tragic and devastating power of 2004’s post holiday tsunami was plastered across the cover of practically every newspaper around the world for the better part of a month. As the death toll rose by the thousands every day, countries struggled to keep pace with the rapidly increasing need for aid across the Indian Ocean Basin.

At the same time that U.S. aid was widely publicized domestically, our coinciding military motives were virtually ignored by the press. While supplying our aid (which when compared proportionately to that of other, less wealthy countries, was an insulting pittance), we simultaneously bolstered military alliances with regional powers in, and began expanding our bases throughout, the Indian Ocean region.

...

During subsequent tsunami relief operations, the U.S. reactivated its military co-operation agreements with Thailand and the Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines. U.S. Navy also vessels utilized facilities in Singapore, keeping with previous treaties. Further, the U.S. marines and the navy arrived in Sri Lanka to bolster relief measures despite the tsunami-hit island’s initial reluctance to permit their entry

....

The report also quotes U.S. Lieutenant Generals as saying that the access to Indian bases would enable the U.S. military “to be able to touch the rest of the world” and to “respond rapidly to regional crisis.” A South Asia Area Officer of the U.S. State Department has been quoted as saying, “India’s strategic importance increases if existing U.S. relationships with Asia fail.”

Post-tsunami U.S. actions in the Indian Ocean illustrate its intention to move this agenda forward sooner rather than later.

http://www.projectcensored.org/censored_2006/index.htm#5

[Truth2Tell]

6. Some criticisms

And I'm an Edwards supporter.

A few things jumped out at me:

Regarding the use of American power post-WWII:

"...Our leaders resisted the imperial temptation to force our will by virtue of our unmatched strength. Instead, they built bonds of trust founded on restraint, the rule of law, and good faith. They were magnanimous out of strength, not weakness."

Really?

Regarding when the use of force is appropriate:

"...However, there are times when force is justified: to protect our vital national interests... to respond to acts of aggression by other nations and non-state actors... to protect treaty allies and alliance commitments... to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons... and to prevent or stop genocide."

I count at least four reasons for the use of force, OTHER THAN "acts of aggression by other nations and non-state actors."

I guess the plan is to keep the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive use of force in place.

[GreenArrow]

7. kinder, gentler imperialism

.

[1932]

8. Except that I suspect that Edwards's plans to invigorate the working class is

actually the antidote to American imperialism. I don't think it's a coincidence that the US has failed at imperialism (Vietnam) just at the moment that the working/middle class was its most powerful, and that at times when the working/middle class has been weak, America has extended that polarization of wealth and power into its foreign policy.

[Truth2Tell]

9. Well, good luck with that

I've actualy been wondering what the antidote to American imperialism was.

Invigorate the working class by all means,

I'm just not sure that will entirely do the trick.

[1932]

10. I think that's basically the same argument Chomsky makes in Hegemony or Survival.

[Truth2Tell]

11. I'll put it on my reading list

I read the reviews - and it looks like a great summary of "America's quest for global dominance", as the sub-title says, and as only Chomsky can deliver. I didn't read anything in the reviews about an antidote.... I guess I'll read the book :)