KEN STREMSKY DISCUSSES FOREIGN POLICY FOREIGN POLICY The foreign policy of the United States of America should be based on common sense and a knowledge of history. I highly recommend that people who deal with foreign policy read The Art of War by Sun Tzu. The foreign policy of our country especially since President Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States of America has often made no sense at all. Our country was not able to get a League of Nations created that would benefit us because of bickering between the executive branch of government and the legislative branch of government. We ignored Ho Chi Minh when he was a nationalist and not yet a communist after World War 1 because we thought it was a good idea for France to keep its colonies in Asia when the French were hated by a significant percentage of the area's population. If we had supported independence for Vietnam after World War 1, I doubt we would have fought a Vietnam War. If our troops had been allowed to win the Vietnam War by President Johnson, I believe we would have won the Vietnam War. One of the dumbest things our government has ever done was remove Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh from power in Iran in the 1950s and put the Shah of Iran in power. Our government removed Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh from power because he nationalized Iran's oil fields. He wanted his people to benefit from their oil wealth. Our government did not care about Irans's people. Our government only cared about our oil companies getting rich on Iran's oil. Our country has nationalized some industries when we have been at war. Our country's government supported the Shah of Iran for decades when he was having many Iranian citizens murdered. If we had not overthrown Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, I doubt the Iranian hostage crisis would have happened and I doubt so many Iranians would hate us now. The Iranian hostage crisis might not have happened if we had a lot more spies in Iran during the 1970s. I realize that Iran has supported terrorists. I hope the United States of America and Iran will be able to forgive each other for harm they have done to each other, become friends, and trading partners. I also hope that many more students from the United States of America and many more students from Iran will visit each other's country. I also hope that members of the United States government and Iranian government will meet on a regular basis. Iran has a right to hate our country more than any other country that exists. After World War 1, we should have encouraged England and France to keep their promises they made to Jews and Arabs during World War 1. The Jews were promised a state of Israel. The Arabs were promised a Palestinian state. If England and France had kept their word, millions of the people who died during the Holocaust might not have died and fewer Jews and Palestinians would probably hate each other now. The United States of America should have taken in more Jews after World War 1 especially after Hitler came to power in Germany. Our country should have never sent boatloads of Jews away. The United States of America would probably be a far greater country now if our government had welcomed Jews with open arms. Albert Einstein and many other Jews have helped the United States of America throughout its history. Jews even helped the United States of America during the American Revolution. My mother lives in Israel. I hope people who hate others because of their religion will stop hating because of religion. Our government should not have abandoned Afghanistan after we helped kick the Russians out of Afghanistan. When we abandoned Afghanistan, a vaccuum was created that the Taliban helped fill. History has often shown that countries that allow significant vaccuums to be created often end up paying darely for the stupidity. STEEL IMPORTS AND OTHER IMPORTS Congress may usually not want to place quotas on steel imports and other which Congress believes are fairly priced. I do not have a problem with Congress saying steel may not be sold for less than an amount Congress sets in this country. Congress may want to lower the amount that Congress sets over a period of time. I hope that domestic steel producers will use the good business practices of Andrew Carnegie. I hope that domestic steel producers will not use the bad business practices of Andrew Carnegie. When our government places unfair quotas on products from other countries, those countries are likely to place unfair quoats on products made in the United States of America. When we place unfair tariffs on products from other countries, those countries are likely to place unfair tariffs on products made in our country. Trade wars often hurt our businesses as much or more than foreign businesses. The trade wars in the early 1900s contributed to the Great Depression. HUMAN RIGHTS AND TRADE A country Congress says has a very bad human rights record should not have most favored nation trading status. I do not think China should have most favored nation trading status at this time. I think Congress should place tariffs on Chinese made goods and limit imports from China until China improves its human rights record. VOTING RIGHTS AND TRADE Congress should consider placing tariffs on products made in countries that do not allow people to vote in elections Congress believes are fair elections. I think Congress should limit imports from countries that do not allow people to elect their leaders in elections Congress considers to be fair. FOREIGN AID AND HUMAN RIGHTS I want the United States of America to significantly increase its budget for foreign aid. I do not think the United States of America should give foreign aid to countries Congress says do not have decent human rights and fair elections. I do not think the United States of America should provide foreign aid to Israel and Egypt at this time. I do think a Palestinian state should someday be created possibly in present day Jordan. I do not think Israel should give up any more land. I do not think Israel should have given the Sinai back to Egypt. I also discuss Israel on comments I have e-mailed to The Green Papers. A country should usually not give back land it has won in war. I think a country that gives back land it has won in war after it has been attacked is usually doing something very stupid. HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE SALE OF WEAPONS MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA I do not think Congress should allow weapons made in the United States of America to be sold to countries that Congress says do not have decent human rights records and fair elections. I do not think Congress should allow weapons made in the United States of America to be sold to Saudi Arabia. I think Congress should pass a law that says that the United States of America shall not buy oil from Saudi Arabia until decent human rights exist in Saudi Arabia and people are allowed to elect their leaders in Saudi Arabia. I prefer that the United States of America buy more oil from Russia while our government spends more money researching ways to decrease our dependence on oil and provide tax incentives to individuals and businesses that will get more hybrid cars that have engines similar to the Toyota Prius used in the United States of America. Toyota's website says the Toyota Prius gets about 40 mpg. The Wall Street Journal in some editorials has talked about the fact that the government of Saudi Arabia is infringing on the rights of female citizens of the United States of America. Female citizens of the United States of America are being held prisoner in Saudi Arabia now. I do not think the military of the United States of America should be supporting a Saudi Arabian regime that treats citizens of the United States of America badly, does not value human rights, and does not have fair elections. I think the government of Saudi Arabia is far more evil than Iran's government. The government of Saudi Arabia has supported many terrorist groups that hate Americans. If the United States of America has to choose between buying oil from Saudi Arabia and Iran, I believe the United States of America should buy oil from Iran. The Iranian people have the right to hate the United States of America because President Eisenhower's administration removed Mossadegh from power in the 1950s and replaced him with the Shah of Iran who was one of the most evil men that has ever lived. The United States of America removed Mossadegh from power because he nationalized Iran's oil fields. The United States of America has nationalized industries in war time and sometimes peace time. The United States of America should not have placed a higher value on oil than human rights. The United States of America supported the Shah of Iran for decades while he was abusing the human rights of Iranian citizens. I hope the United States of America and Iran will forgive each other for the evil deeds they have done to each other and become allies and friends. DEBT MORATORIUM FOR THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES Congress may want to pass a law that says that banks and other businesses must allow Third World countries to have a debt moratorium of 25 years on debts that existed before January 1, 2002 if they want to do business in the United States of America. Congress may want to reduce the federal taxes of banks that cancel the debt of Third World countries that existed before January 1, 2002. Congress may want to reduce the federal taxes of banks that loan money to Third World countries that allow their people to elect their leaders in fair elections. Congress may want to reduce the federal taxes of banks that loan money to women owners of small businesses in Third World countries. Congress may want to reduce the federal taxes of businesses that decide to cancel the debt of Third World countries that existed before January 1, 2002. I do not know if it would be a bad idea for Congress to pass a law that says that banks and businesses that want to do business in the United States of America have to cancel debts from Third World countries that existed before January 1, 2002. Many times banks and other businesses loaned money to Third World dictators. Many times banks and other businesses loaned money for massive projects that were unlikely to be very useful. The best ways for Third World Countries to become Third World are 1. empower women 2. improve education especially for children 3. build libraries 4. give men and women at least 18 years of age the right to vote 5. improve health care systems especially AIDS prevention and AIDS detection 6. improve sewage systems 7. improve drinking water quality 8. improve labor laws especially child labor laws 9. improve quality of air 10. improve human rights especially religious freedom 11. enforce laws that discourage discrimination because of sex, religion, age, national origin, and sexual orientation 12. encourage enforcement of patents and ethical contracts 13. keep federal, state, and local taxes combined that do not include health care taxes and social security taxes under 40 percent for people who make under $100,000 a year Webster's Ninth New Collegiate dictionary on page 771 said moratorium is "1. a: a legally authorized period of delay in the performance of a legal obligation or the payment of a debt" "b: a waiting period set by an authority" "2. a suspension of activity MOST FAVORED NATION TRADING STATUS Congress should decide which countries may have Most Favored Nation Trading Status. Congress should decide if a country that does not allow its people to elect their leaders in fair elections should have Most Favored Nation Trading Status. Congress should decide if a country that does not have basic human rights should have Most Favored Nation Trading Status. Congress should decide if a country that does not have child labor laws similar to the United States of America should have Most Favored Nation Trading Status. Congress should decide if a country that does not enforce environmental laws at least as good as the United States of America should have Most Favored Nation Trading Status. Congress should decide if a country that does not have labor laws at least as good ast the United States of America should have Most Favored Nation Trading Status. A PALESTINIAN STATE AND ISRAEL My mother lives in Israel. I hope a Palestinian State that allows its people to elect their leaders in fair elections, wants to live in peace with Israel, and trade with Israel will exist in the Middle East in the future. I hope that other countries in the Middle East will want to live in peace with Israel and trade with Israel. Someday, I hope the Middle East will make a lot less money from oil than it makes now. Israel has the knowledge and ability to help Middle Eastern countries obtain the glory that they had during the Arabic Renaissance that existed several hundred years ago when Europe was in bad shape after the collapse of the Roman Empire based in Rome. The Arabic Renaissance kept alive the great achievements of the Greeks and Romans as well as added to them. I doubt a Palestinian State will exist or survive after it exists if Palestinians continue to blow themselves up in Israel. M.K. Gandhi was able to defeat the British Empire in India through the smart usage of non violence. I do realize that violence is sometimes necessary. The founders of our country had to use violence during the American Revolution. I think the usage of suicide bombers in restaurants and malls increases the likelihood that Israel will retaliate massively against Palestinians. If suicide bombers killed people in the United States of America as often as they kill people in Israel, I doubt the United States of America would show as much restraint as Israel has shown. A country does a have a right to defend itself. A significant portion of the population of Jordan is Palestinian. The best place and the quickest way for a Palestinian state to be created may be to cut Jordan in half and give half of Jordan to the Palestinians. A state of Israel and a state of Palestine was supposed to be created after World War 1. If the European countries had kept their word to their Arab allies during World War 1 and Jews, a Palestinian State and a Jewish state would have been created immediately after World War 1. Millions of jews and millions of non jews might have not died during the Holocaust if European countries had kept their word. Israel is about the size of New Hampshire and it gained some of its land via victory in war after it was attacked. Countries usually do not expect a victor of a war to give up land. The United States of America is not expected to give up land it won in its war with Mexico. INDIA AND PAKISTAN President Bush and top leaders from the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives may want to meet with top leaders of India and Pakistan at the White House. Hopefully, India and Pakistan will stop hating each other. Hopefully, they will not use nuclear weapons against each other. WE may want to tell India and Pakistan that if they want to have access to our market that they have to stop fighting each other. COLOMBIA AND BRAZIL The best thing the citizens of the United States of America can do for Colombia and Brazil is stop using cocaine and other illegal drugs that come from Colombia and Brazil. American consumers of illegal drugs have caused the deaths of many innocent Colombians. Ethical judges and ethical police officers have been murdered with weapons bought from the proceeds that came from American consumers of illegal drugs. Congress should help to diversify the economies of Colombia and Brazil. If Colombia's terrorists make a lot less money from the sale of illegal drugs, Colombia's government will be better able to defeat them. A peaceful Colombia would probably be able to buy more products from our country and jobs would probably be created in our country. Congress should work with our pharmaceutical manufacturers to protect Brazil's rainforests and develop drugs based on plants grown in Brazil's rainforests. Many cures for cancer and other diseases may come from plants in Brazil's rainforests. Brazil's economy has the potential to be one of the world's wealthiest economies. Congress should work with Brazil's government to improve Brazil's educational system, infrastructure, clean water supply, sewage system, non harmful farming methods, and pollution control industries. The more fair trade we do with Brazil the better both our countries will be. WE should sign trade agreements with Brazil and Colombia that strengthen the economies of our countries. Members of Congress should meet with members of their legislatures to discuss what should be in the trade agreements.