The Anti-Statue of Liberty

Thomas Friedman, New Times columnist, writing in a recent column, makes a motion to only support those candidates that unite Americans around "a common purpose, not a common enemy." I second that motion.

For the last six years, our country's leadership has developed an extremely myopic view of American policy, whether it is domestic or foreign. As a result, we have become, as TF states in his column, "The United States of Fighting Terrorism." I would argue that we are not winning that war on any front. Our civil liberties have been soundly thrashed by the continued Executive Privilege power and Justice Department complicity. Not only have U.S. citizens been victimized by this, but we continue to rob others of their human rights. And our leaders continue to admonish others for their human rights abuses.

All the while, China surges every day. China is in Africa, working economic deals, pledging dollars, people, equipment, and support to African states – building relationships. China is in South America, doing the same, building relationships. China is in Southeast Asia, guess what, doing the same thing – building relationships. Not relationships based on fear mongering, but relationships based on mutually agreeable economic terms.

The U.S must live by example of the ideals that have made this country the model against which all other countries are judged. We cannot lead duplicitous lives, saying one thing, "we support freedom," while we repress people at home, or abroad.

The best way to fight terrorism is not by fighting terrorism. Fighting terrorism is not best accomplished by Guantanamo Bay, a void in the world's legal system where du jour rules apply, a hallmark that stands in stark contrast to our Statue of Liberty. Guantanano Bay: The Anti-Statue of Liberty, as labeled by TF.

The best way to fight terrorism is by living right in the first place, by building consistency into our lives, into our actions. By showing the world that not only do we care about our own, but we care about you, too.