America’s Place in the World

(Community Matters) We’re the undisputed 600 lb gorilla in terms of economy & military yet other world leaders are increasingly pushing back. We began to seriously dilute our standing as a beacon of liberty & justice under GWB. It would appear we’re contributing to this again given the Chinese, Russian, German and other leaders’ concerns about the indefinite detention of Guantanamo prisoners, the casualty of civilians in our use of drones, and our international and domestic surveillance programs. This is troubling – much bigger than losing advantage in negotiations – our symbolism has been inspiring to millions around the world for decades, not to mention to ourselves. We must regain a place on the moral high ground. This has got to figure into the cost benefit analysis of our domestic and international programs.