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What would it take to extricate ourselves from the entrapment of global dominance – intervention — military force to achieve our self-interested goals? What would it take? I fear the challenges may be too great to achieve but we must at least try.

First of all, we need to implement a whole new approach to foreign policy. Rather than imposing our will, we need to use our vast (though diminishing) wealth to assist other nations in meeting their needs: Health, food, water, education, environmental protection, and conservation. If we were to make this our modus vivendi, we might well actually win some hearts and minds or at least gain a measure of international respect.

Secondly, we must look to our own failures at home to achieve democracy and economic justice and well-being. We cannot effectively promote democracy abroad if we do not practice it at home. There is so much to do at home – and abroad – in areas of human rights, decent standards of living for all, and environmental salvation that to continue to squander trillions of dollars in military misadventures not only disgraceful, it is tragic.