President Bush is attending his last G-8 Summit today in Japan. Let's consider the world he inherited when he attended his first, back in 2001. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi reminisced about that event when he addressed a joint session of Congress in March of 2006. I was there in a seat to the Prime Minister's left. And I clearly remember these words:
"In 2001, in the early days of my second government, I was called to chair the G-8 summit in Genoa. After the conclusion of the summit's official program, the final dinner became a dinner among friends.At one point in the evening, I sat back slightly from the table, almost an external observer, in order to enjoy the cordial discussion among the leaders of the largest industrial countries in the world.
President Bush was chatting amiably with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan. Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima were but a distant memory. Prime Minister Blair was joking with Chancellor Schoeder. And the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin was also talking with President Bush. The tragedy of the Second World War and the Cold War, which lasted for so many years, was forgotten. I felt great pleasure inside. I thought the world had in fact changed, and how different and peaceful was the world we were handing to our children. An age of lasting peace beckoned."
Imagine. Handing our children a peaceful world.
Obviously, a lot has changed since then under the Bush/Cheney administration. The clear warning signs of September 11th were ignored. The dangerous emotions of fear and anger were fanned after that infamous day. Prevarication upon prevarication led us into Iraq. And today, what was then fringe Islamic extremism has become a growing menace.
How do we roll back the clock on the Bush/Cheney years? How do we reclaim the promise of lasting peace Silvio Berlusconi foresaw?
Ultimately, civilized people must band together to control their own destinies. They must not allow themselves to become the victims of a downward spiral of cascading events. Whether the issue is preventing military aggression towards Iran, dealing with climate change or disallowing warrantless wiretapping, there is truly a "fierce urgency of now." Senator Obama is absolutely right to invoke Martin Luther King's famous phrase.
Thankfully, good things are happening. The J Street organization is advocating a new path to peace in the Middle East. In today's New York Times, Common Cause has a full page ad with an upside down American Flag titled "Democracy in Distress." Their rallying cry is "recapture the flag." And we must.
Handing a peaceful world to our children is our goal.
But if America is to have any international leadership, let us first show it at home. The world is waiting to see if America can match its military strength with moral strength.
As a concerned citizen, I consider it is my duty to bring following message to you all.
"We the citizens of the United States of America have the ultimate responsibility to elect the " Right Candidate" to lead our nation, out of our huge present and future internal and external challenges as well as opportunities. This is to prevent depression and isolation in-spite of being the only superpower in the world morally, democratically, economically, and militarily.
We need to consider the "critical qualities and characteristics" of our presumptive presidential nominees at the time we vote.
In my personal and professional opinion the critical considerations are as under:
1. Calm, cool, and collected " temper " [ Presidential Temperament ].
2. Sound and sustained "Judgment and Caliber".
3. "Thought-fullness and togetherness" of purpose and positions.
4. Minimum "ex-poser and exploitation" around "Washington and Washington insiders".
5. Renewed " Vigor and Vision " for our Greatgrand Nation.
6. Foreign policy based on " American Values, Virtuous, Vastness".
Stay informed, stay involved, and stay engaged. Do not allow some partisan media, pundits, pollsters, and perpetual political opinion makers effect your vote in the wrong direction.
Don't be effected and duped by "Psychological Terrorism" that is afflicted upon you all the time.
Long live U.S.A and its diverse but democratic people.
Col. A.M. Khajawall [Ret] MD., ABFM., ABDA.
Colonel, USAR/MC Combat Stress Control[Ret], Disabled American Veteran .