Reply #5: I figure that the first step is to reestablish international legitimacy for the United States... [View All]

Iraq is the big blunder, I imagine the first thing we can do is basically beg the U.N. and our allies to "take over" security in Iraq. There is no "clean" way out of that country, its the closest to anarchy you can find right now. We may have to strike a deal to provide funds for the security, but its much better to pay in money than blood, and we should do it unconditionally. In addition, all the pro-U.S. interest laws and such that were passed in Iraq should be recinded, immediately, and we should foot the bill for reconstruction, without no-bid contracts, and no U.S. nor non-Iraqi companies should be paid for the reconstruction.

The next step would be to ratify the ICC, and support it without exceptions. This includes, if charges are brought against Bush or any other U.S. personnel for the Iraq war, we will not harbor them, but let them face the charges. We need a demonstration, a big one, to show that the United States is no longer above international law.

As far as Iran, the first talks actually can be a good first step, but it needs to be taken further, we need to normalize relations with Iran, period. No more threats. One of the biggest disasters of Bush is the fact that he openly threatened Iran, right when it was on the cusp of possibly redemocratizing, and he, of course, radicalized that country. Nothing like a threat from outside to tighten the grip of the Mullahs on that nation.