Presented by Hayat Imam at Left Forum, May 30, 2015
At this critical moment in our human journey, the choices we make will have a profound impact on all of us. Cole has shared our vision of the future of U.S. Foreign Policy, and, of course, what Foreign Policy means is our relationship with the other inhabitants who share this planet with us. Our Foreign Policy vision captures the importance of addressing the environment, climate change and the debacle of nuclear weapons and power. These are not issues that are normally brought into a discussion of Foreign Policy, but it is essential that we do so. We can no longer think in narrow terms about U.S. interests alone because there is a direct connection between the earth’s natural resources, human rights and war and peace. Everyone on earth will sink or swim – together.
The way forward requires courage and maturity, and a consciousness of the precarious place we have reached by not safeguarding our ecological heritage. But nature itself can guide us. We can learn from the natural setting that diversity does not mean hierarchy, but rather a circle of inter-dependence. The whale feeds on the plankton, and they are both equally important. Too often, human beings are stuck in a pyramid of hierarchy. Those on top discriminate on the many below. Our country’s extreme inequality is a true measure of the imbalance in our society. And a society like this is unsustainable. The wealth and opulence we experience, and sometimes aspire to, will soon not be compensation enough for the ecological breakdown of the earth.
How wealth and capital are owned and organized today are the greatest obstacles to a working democracy which allows for citizen participation in decision-making. Cole has mentioned a unified, progressive movement. What might that look like?
1) Firstly, we need to support each other to overcome our apathy. The lack of transparency in government, the lack of genuine electoral choices can make us feel helpless and unable to make a difference. We can easily lose faith in our ability to make a difference. Let us galvanize ourselves by engaging and envisioning. And I want to send out a “thank you” to the organizers of the Left Forum, who have given us a head-start for just such an effort!
2) Secondly, let’s build unity with core groups. Women, Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, Youth, Labor, Farmers, Environmentalists, Educated Professionals can all be part of a progressive bloc. The point of departure has to be the realization that all our issues are of joint concern: be it police brutality, profiling, civil rights, social and economic justice, student debt, fairness in trade and farming, climate justice and an end to war-mongering.
3) A unifying project to address our crises is to ensure that citizens have a say in the decision-making and policies of our nation, instead of allowing a powerful, self-interested group to dictate the conditions of our society. Let us join forces to overturn the Citizens United decision, and bring back sensible finance and electoral regulations.
4) Finally, for a new direction in our Foreign Policy, we are calling for even greater outreach, one that goes beyond our borders. Let us push for international cooperation through building alliances with our counterparts in other countries, and respecting each other’s sovereignty and resources. This will go a long way to bringing back our nation’s leadership towards peace, justice and stability for the human race.