America’s Role in the World

An America that Works for All of Us

The problem – In today’s conflicts, the over-reliance on the use of force makes us less secure. It’s like pouring gasoline on a fire.

• The United States is often a force for good, but when we rely too much on force, we make enemies not partners.
• We’ve spent almost two trillion dollars on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but these countries are still violent and unstable. Excessive military spending has not made our country or the world safer.
• When we spend so much on the Pentagon, the only solutions we have at the ready are military.
• Pentagon contractors use campaign contributions to get Congress to force the Pentagon to spend money on wasteful, unnecessary projects the Pentagon doesn’t need and didn’t request. It’s time to get politics out of Pentagon spending.

Our solution – In today’s global world, we need to work with others to solve the big problems – terrorism, civil conflicts, climate disruption, fighting over resources and poverty.

How we get there – We build a more secure and prosperous America and world by decisions we make together.

• Diplomacy, economic and humanitarian assistance are almost always much better choices for our security. War should be a last resort.
• Instead of just building weapons to use when the world erupts, we should work with our allies to invest in raising living standards around the world – that way we’ll reduce the root causes of so many conflicts.
• We must insist that that we put the safety of our troops and care for our veterans first – before hugely expensive weapons systems and the profits of Pentagon contractors.
• We need to get our priorities right. Pentagon spending is out of balance with our overall needs.
  • Example: We are planning to spend a trillion dollars on new nuclear weapons. For the same amount of money, we could provide free tuition to every qualified student in the country for the next 16 years.

Call to action – It’s up to us to build a more secure and prosperous America in a more secure and prosperous world. 

• It’s up to us to use our power wisely – to work with others to prevent and quiet conflicts.
• We are going to hold our elected officials accountable for saying no to billion dollar weapons we don’t need and yes to raising living standards in America and around the world.
• The United States can partner with others in providing leadership for a world of democracy, prosperity and security.

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