Why foreign policy

There are several reasons I focus on foreign policy.

First, it’s because I’ve been on the sharp end of the sword. I’ve been the young, deployed Marine who’s sleeping in the mud and half-scared out of his mind. (The details of my military career.) I know that decisions made in Washington, D.C. lead to good men and women dying or being damaged for life.

I also believe in the mission of this. Of trying to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots. We want to avoid those places we should avoid. We also want to avoid unplanned mission creep, such as we did in Afghanistan or in Vietnam. These decisions mattered when they were made, and the decisions being made now matter as well.

This subject is also what I’ve always been naturally drawn to in my studies of political science and history.

But even bigger than that, foreign policy decisions can be tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s important that we get them right.

When we get them wrong, such as we did during the Vietnam War, our very country can be ripped apart by division and chaos. It’s also crucial that when we get them wrong, as we did in Vietnam, then the faster we can course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose. 

America is the world’s leading power, and we mostly lead the world from a position of moral authority, showing other countries how they should behave in regard to ethics, restraint, and providing freedom for their citizens.

We are a force of good for the world, although I will acknowledge that we are not perfect. 

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I know that our democracy doesn’t work without informed voters. And I also know we need to grow closer together and show more patience and kindness.

It’s only by pulling our country closer together that we can pass on a better future for our kids, and we need to hold and cherish the beliefs that got us here today. Beliefs such as patience, kindness, and a strong belief that our best days lie before us. These are the beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the kind of optimistic beliefs that will get us to a brighter future.