Peace Train

People need to get on board more than ever.

"I've been smiling lately, thinking about the good things to come."

Well, I have to, we have to.  It's funny, I've had conversations about voting for the duopoly political parties, particularly the democratic party, with many of the so called "progressive" branch of the party about whether to vote for politicians from that war and imperialism party.  A political party against peace.  I and others have been accused of "giving up" because we refuse to vote for them. 

I was thinking about that.  You know what IS giving up, continuing to vote for those duopoly politicians in this system.  That's giving up.  And giving in.  

Demexit Bullshit

The demexit thing started because of the Bernie Sanders fan boys/girls perceived slight from the democratic party (perceived because Bernie was in on it all along) in favor of Hillary Clinton.  They were pissed their favorite establishment politician, imperialist and fake socialist Bernie Sanders, didn't get the nod over Clinton for THEIR democratic party presidential nomination. 

That's it. 

I got to thinking tonight.  I've never been a democrat, never been affiliated with either of the two duopoly political parties and never will be.  But I did get fooled by Obama.  That was near the beginning of my "truth odyssey" whereby after retiring from 30 years with the federal government, I started at what is now a 12 year research effort (I was an analyst with the fed so I know how to research) to learn as much as I can about how "things really work".   A big reason why I went on that odyssey was because of what Bush and the republicans were doing, the imperialism and wars, the fucking lies, the right wing ideology.  They had to be stopped and Obama came along with his what I believe now to be, psychopathic lies (because to lie at that level, it has to be psychopathic) that literally had people weeping and praising the lord.  I fell for it along with a long list of those who should have known better. 

But I remember distinctly, at that time I was frequenting the Daily Kos blog, after about the first 80 or so days of Obama, I wrote a "diary" basically stating it was all a fraud, Obama was just a continuation of Bush, and fuck that.  I think I called it "Contrast and Contradiction."

It didn't taking a fucking rocket scientist to figure that out. 

So why didn't all these demexit people do that after Obama's first 100 days?  Why didn't they see at that time the entire system was fucked including the democratic party and we had no choice but to overthrow the fuckers and institute a new government? 

Ya, we know why don't we.  They aren't really demexiting, which is proven by their fawning over the imperialist and fake socialist spawn of Saint Bernie, Alexandria Cortez-Ocasio, the silver spooner Manchurian candidate pretending to be a working class bartender.  What a joke. 

The "progressive" wing of the democratic party, the Sanders and Cortez-Ocasio fan boys and girls are as hypocritical as they get, pretending to demexit but ready and willing to join the sick ass game for a 28 year old fucking plant. 

Well, it ain't no different on the other side, the Trump supporters are one upping the Obama supporters in believing his and the republicans line of shit. 

Obviously, it's going to take a large people's movement, probably global, independent from these corrupt western political systems, to save humanity.  The sooner more people come to that conclusion the better. 

The 99% Fallacy

The 99 Percent Fallacy

I was chided (mildly) the other day about a comment I made to a fairly fervent Trump supporter who felt Trump might turn into one of the best presidents ever (would that be a Trumpbot?).  My pushback to the commenter was evidently seen as contrary to the site's non-partisan, all views are welcome policy.  The theory is we're all part of the 99% who have a common opponent in the One Percent.  It follows with the "divide and conquer" concerns voiced by many whereby the ruling elite endeavor to create conditions to divide the public, making it easier to "conquer" us.  It's like, "don't let them divide us, man".

Reality is different.  

It isn't as simple as the very rich versus the rest of us, it's also about goals, agendas and ideology.  If person A wants the Republican party to win and person B wants the Democratic party to win then they have different goals.  They can't work together toward the same goal.   If person A, the republican, and person B, the democrat, both want to work toward a common goal, then they can work together, unless other goals get in the way.  

It's all about the goals.

If my goal is to try to enact a single payer health care system but someone else supports the republican party which does not support a single payer health care system, we could still work toward that goal if the republican person also supported single payer. 

But it doesn't usually work that way.  The reason Person B, the republican, supports the republican party is because of the goals, agenda and ideology of that party.  So you generally are not going to find many republicans who you can work with toward that goal of single payer because of their ideology.

It's all about ideology.

If my goal is to oppose the duopoly (democratic and republican parties), seek a more democratic political system, and end Rule by the Rich, while another person's goal is to support Donald Trump and the republican party, that makes it difficult to work together.  We don't want the same thing and in fact, Person B the republican, by virture of supporting Trump and the republican party, is in effect opposing my goal.  The same could be said with a supporter of the Democratic party.  By virture of their support for the Democratic party they are opposing my goal.  How do people with competing goals work together?

Take war and imperialism, it's the same thing.  If I want to end the wars and U.S. imperialism and you support the Democratic/Republican party that wants to continue the wars and U.S. imperialism, then we can't work toward that same goal.  You can't honestly say you are against the wars and U.S. imperialism while supporting a political party that does. 

Well, you could but how many republican/democratic party supporters are really against the wars and U.S. imperialism?   And if they are, why are they supporting a political party that supports U.S. wars and imperialism? 

If I want a revolution and you don't, can we work together?  Aren't we then working AGAINST each other?  If you are supporting one of the oligarchy's political parties who are gravely against a real people's revolution or movement, then you are in effect opposing a real people's revolution or movement. 

We've got many divisions in this country.  Based on class, race, religion, gender, but also based on ideology.  We're never going to get 99% of the people to join together toward a common goal, that's impossible.  The only possible common goal at that level would be ending Rule by the Rich and implementing an actual democratic political system.  Everything else would have to be decided by democracy, how it should be.  

That's not to say there can't be changing sides.  Someone supporting the republican/democratic party could decide they will no longer support the party and instead will support the people's revolution.  But there's that ideology thing. 

For example:

" A new website is asking students and others to “expose and document” professors who “discriminate against conservative students, promote anti-American values and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom.”

The site, called Professor Watchlist, is not without precedent — predecessors include the now-defunct NoIndoctrination.org, which logged accounts of alleged bias in the classroom. There’s also David Horowitz’s 2006 book, The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America. But such efforts arguably have new meaning in an era of talk about registering certain social groups and concerns about free speech.

Professor Watchlist, launched Monday, is a project of Turning Point USA. The group’s mission is to “identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government.” Its national college and university field program works to “identify young conservative activists, build and maintain effective student groups, advertise and rebrand conservative values, engage in face-to-face and peer-to-peer conversations about the pressing issues facing our country,” according to its website.  The group’s founder, Charlie Kirk – a millennial who has emerged in some conservative political circles as a major player — did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Professor Watchlist, but he promoted it on social media."

 http://www.globalresearch.ca/anti-american-leftist-professors-being-watched/5558821

Does that sound like someone who radical leftists could work with to change the capitalist system and overthrow the establishment?  I don't think so, I would bet they would actively work against such a Revolution.  I would imagine most of them are not of the One Percent but of the 99 Percent.  What if they visited C99?

Back to working with Trump and republican party supporters. I understand all viewpoints are supposedly accepted on this blog, the only rule being DBAD (don't be a dick).  However I've seen more than a few run off because their views didn't fit in with the majority here, i.e., Clinton supporters.  Trump supporters seem to have been treated a little differently based on the perception from some that Trump and his republican party administration might not be that bad, certainly not as bad as Hillary Clinton. 

I can't stress enough, a REPUBLICAN PARTY administration that is for war and imperialism, unregulated capitalism, privatizing Medicare and Social Security, a fascist police state, and serves the top .001% that rule over We the Serfs.  A party that will work to KILL any working class or Serf's revolution or movement.  

No, for me there's no working with that.  Anyone who supports that is not on my team, they are my opponent.  There is no room for discussion or debate, the only way to change that would be for them to come over to my team.  If not, that's how it will stay. 

This isn't a time for Pollyanna "Imagine all the People" chants, we're in a war of ideologies.  Those of us wanting truth, justice and real democracy are getting creamed.  There's no room for niceties when considering the stakes.  The existence of the planet and the human race is at stake.   I've got kids and grandkids, screw these people who want to take away their futures. 

We need solidarity for a people's movement against the oligarchy.  It won't be the 99% that does it.  Those that want it will have to join in with others around the planet to form a global people's revolution against the global oligarchy.  We'll have many opponents but our cause is just and that's what will win in the end.  It has to.

Donald Trump is a Delusional Sick Bastard

First a caveat:  Obama and Clinton are war criminals that should be in prison, so don't take this as progressive/liberal/democrat attack from the left. 

To me, Trump is exactly what my title indicates, a delusional sick bastard.   I can understand the tribal attachment from many on the right and the outright ignorance to attack themselves to such a psychopath, but it really irks me to see people of the left persuasion give him even a little credit for anything.  Number one, he has committed numerous war crimes and belongs in prison alongside Obama, Clinton and Bush.  So to give him credit for anything in effect exonerates him from his crimes.  It also illustrates the problem with most of the left in opposing imperialism.  Most just don't take it seriously enough, they can't equate the murders and other crimes committed by our elected officials as "real" crimes that should be punished just the same as the crimes committed by ordinary  citizens.  It's a serious lack of judgment and logic. 

Anyway, here's Trump about North Korea:

"President Trump on Tuesday brushed aside questions over whether his assertion that he “solved” the crisis with North Korea was premature amid reports its leader, Kim Jong Un, is trying to conceal parts of its nuclear weapons program.

“Many good conversations with North Korea — it is going well!” Trump tweeted. “In the meantime, no Rocket Launches or Nuclear Testing in 8 months. All of Asia is thrilled. Only the Opposition Party, which includes the Fake News, is complaining.”

"If not for me,” he added, “we would now be at War with North Korea!”

https://www.yahoo.com/

There are so many things wrong with that statement and the thinking behind I can't cover them all.  But to not recognize it as purely delusional is a gross mistake.   Here's a man that was basically threatening to kill the 26 million people in North Korea and cause a possible global extinction chain of events, which was a war crime in and of itself, saying that if it wasn't for him, he would have carried through with his threats.  There was never a chance it would happen anyway because we know Congress would never approve a war against North Korea, there is and never has been any justification.)

Unfortunately, this too will pass without any pushback from the left which has been and continues to be neutered by the democratic party, with the progressives new Democratic party fake socialists of Amerika politicians like silver spoon Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  How soon they forgot about Obama?  Well, depends, 80% of democrats still believe he did a great job as president, war crimes and all.  They obviously wouldn't know a war crime if it hit them in the ass.

Snowden - Russian Government Corrupt (Addendum to last essay)

Important information to file in your brain combined with what's happening in China.

"The ex-IT contractor and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) worker, said the country's citizen's were warm and clever but he "strongly" disagreed with the policies of Russian president Vladimir Putin.  

“I think the public feels disempowered. Russians are not naive, they know that state TV is unreliable. The Russian government is corrupt in many ways, that’s something the Russian people realise," the 35-year-old told German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung."  

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/edward-snowden-latest-nsa-whistleblower-russia-govenrment-corrupt-a8423921.html

Reminds me of a statistic.  Over 300 million people were killed in the 20th century by democide, murder by government.  That wasn't long ago, in fact, many people from the 20th century are still alive (sarcasm).  That means there is no reason to believe things should be any different now (logic), particularly with the savagery displayed by governments, led by the U.S. government, so far this century. 

It's hard to say how many will be killed by their own governments this century, it could be less or it could be hideously more.  But the control exerted by governments is surely increasing and if left unchecked for the next 80 years, it's hard to imagine a human race at all.

Humans are humans, they've always been that way and always will be.  Kind of like dogs and cats.

Further justification for a global people's movement against Rule by the Rich.

1.4 Billion Thoroughly Propangandized People

Many on the progressive left try to hold up China as an example of how things should be done in this world relative to the Evil Empire.  Like helping Africa with infrastructure projects instead of conducting regime changes and causing genocides.  Ya, a little different, but . .

I think we're in a battle for humanity right now, a global battle.  Think about it.  The industrial revolution isn't that far off.  The population on the planet has skyrocketed since it's inception and there's no end in sight.  The governments of all major countries on the planet seek to control, undemocratically, their citizens in one way or another.  We need a global people's revolution to challenge rule by the rich, put an end to the insane and ultimately existentially destructive primacy of human greed and lust for power that basically ordains people's lives from cradle to death.  That's not freedom, I don't agree, I don't accept it, and I don't want my grandchildren and great grandchildren to live under this kind of tyranny. 

https://www.livepopulation.com/country/china.html

Check this out:

No one was surprised by what they heard. Xi had already established that the Chinese internet would be a world unto itself, with its content closely monitored and managed by the Communist party. In recent years, the Chinese leadership has devoted more and more resources to controlling content online. Government policies have contributed to a dramatic fall in the number of postings on the Chinese blogging platform Sina Weibo (similar to Twitter), and have silenced many of China’s most important voices advocating reform and opening up the internet.

It wasn’t always like this. In the years before Xi became president in 2012, the internet had begun to afford the Chinese people an unprecedented level of transparency and power to communicate. Popular bloggers, some of whom advocated bold social and political reforms, commanded tens of millions of followers. Chinese citizens used virtual private networks (VPNs) to access blocked websites. Citizens banded together online to hold authorities accountable for their actions, through virtual petitions and organising physical protests. In 2010, a survey of 300 Chinese officials revealed that 70% were anxious about whether mistakes or details about their private life might be leaked online. Of the almost 6,000 Chinese citizens also surveyed, 88% believed it was good for officials to feel this anxiety.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jun/29/the-great-firewall-of-china-xi-jinpings-internet-shutdown

Humans are humans, man.  There is no reason to believe the governments of China, Russia, India, and Europe are going to change this evil trajectory we're on because it's all controlled by fucking greed and lust.  Look at Donald Trump, he's just a loudmouth, but in the end he's not any different.

We need a global people's revolution, organized globally, acted out globally, and taken to the United Nations with an ultimatum to the rich people of the world.  It's time to end the fucking Company Store once and for all.   I'm not a proponent of waiting until things get so bad that people then will rise up.  No way, too many people get hurt.  There is no time to waste.

You Say We NEED a Revolution? Then Let's Do It

"Who in those years (the Vietnam years) would have ever imagined that Americans might fight their wars (unsuccessfully) to the end of time without most citizens paying the slightest attention?"Mark Karlin

Refer to the following essay:

"The United States Is a Force for Chaos Across the Planet"
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/49515.htm

I remember in the earlier part of this century, around 2006/7, telling people, mostly online, that the U.S. government and those controlling it were trying to rule the world. At that time, many, such as those at the right to center democratic party partisan blog Daily Kos, would ridicule that contention and label it as CT, "conspiracy theory", the go-to ridicule for those whose intelligence level doesn't match their shoe size.

I remember the fact that the U.S. government and those controlling it were trying to rule the world was discussed on some internet sites but it wasn't prevalent on most "alternative media".
Now it is. Of course it is 2018 so you know, the government of this country and those controlling it (stop saying we!) have been at war for seventeen fucking years and have used every lie imaginable to keep on keeping on. Even for those who with hard heads for hints, it should be evident by now what they're up to.
 
"Oh, they're trying to rule the world!"

Along the way these fuckers are killing people left and right, displacing them, destroying their homes, their livelihoods, their countries, stealing their shit and charging them interest. Crimes upon crimes, the people controlling and directing our government are acting like fucking sharks with cold black eyes thrashing the blood soaked waters of the planet. They won't stop, they can't stop. Shouldn't that be completely evident by now?

That's why I'm a radical and won't accept anything less, like voting for stupid fucking imperialist "progressive" democratic party politicians who will only suck up to their political party masters and keep the world domination ball rolling. That's why I call for boycotts of this perverse political system that keeps the psychopaths and sociopaths in power, keeps the rich as our rulers. The system is designed to keep it that way and it cannot be changed from within, the only way is to create a movement demanding real, or at least as close as we can get to it, democracy.
 
We don't live in a democracy, you can call it what you want, but you and I have no say in what those in charge of our government choose to do. It's an oligarchy, a plutocracy, a totalitarian nightmare, a fascist police state. It's a proven fact that the government of this country serves the rich, that One Percent and their sycophants who benefit from the neoliberalism, imperialism and militarism that fuels the ruling class crime syndicate. And it's a proven fact they will do anything to keep it that way. Since it's such a proven fact, you think you can change that by voting for more politicians? Come on man, that's ridiculous. If there's any historical track record more dismal and corrupted than that of the two major political parties of this country, I sure can't think of one.

That's why I don't see any other course of action than taking the ruling class down, i.e., a revolution and that it has to include challenging the veracity of this political system. It's not like this is a new idea, activists and patriots throughout U.S. history have acknowledged such an action is or could be necessary. It has to be done some time or most of the human race will not survive. It has to be done most of all to stop the killing and the crimes against all of humanity being perpetrated on a global basis by those with the most fucking money, the small global elite, particularly the elite in charge of the U.S. who have proven themselves to be fucking maniacs. That's a sick way to run a planet. It has to be done to stop the neoliberalism, militarism, imperialism and fascism on this planet.

Do you see what's happening now? It's absolutely unreal, Twilight Zone mixed with George Orwell and Ray Bradbury. I don't know why there isn't more urgency among those that know the truth. I don't know why there isn't more radical activism that involves taking down the ruling class' political system. Has the lifelong indoctrination, training and conditioning been so successful that no one can speak out against the Constitution and it's contents?

The Democratic Party Platform Supports U.S. Imperialism

Questions for the audience: 

Do all politicians of a political party agree to support the official party platform? 

Are citizens who vote for political party politicians also supporting the party platform?  If not supporting, are they validating it?  

Is expressing disagreement with parts of the Democratic party platform, specifically foreign policies, while voting for Democratic party politicians simply a copout for excusing official support by a political party for U.S. imperialism and the accompanying wars, regime changes, sanctions, murder, mayhem and enormous national budgets?

Are foreign policies something that can be excused relative to the rest of the party platform? Should foreign policies be a deal breaker considering the significance to how this country is governed, the dangers and costs posed by U.S. imperialism and the illegality and immorality of actions taken under U.S. imperialism? 

Consider. A democratic or republican party politician is elected under the official party platform. Over the past 30 years, Democratic and Republican representatives have voted in line with their respective party platforms 74% and 89% of the time, respectively. Over the last twenty years it's been even more pronounced, particularly when it comes to imperialism, national security, and anything Israel. There has basically been zero pushback by any of the duopoly politicians against their party's platforms when it comes to foreign policies.

We know the Republican party is a warmonger, imperialist political party.  Any politician that runs with the republican party also runs with the republican party platform which officially sanctions U.S. imperialism and the false narratives and lies that sustain it.

The same has to be said about the Democratic party.  The Democratic party platform also officially sanctions U.S. imperialism and the accompanying lies and false narratives, i.e., propaganda, supporting it, which in turn supports the wars, sanctions, regime changes, and flat out bullying (seen Nikki Haley lately?) under the criminal class controlling the U.S. government.  ALL politicians that run as a democrats also support the party platform, especially the "foreign policies".  

Below is the Democratic party platform as it relates to U.S. foreign policies, i.e., imperialism and Empire.  Those that vote for democratic party politicians are in effect supporting and/or validating this platform. It is full of the lies and false narratives that support U.S. imperialism, rampant militarism and the military industrial complex and omits the truth concerning the cornerstones of current U.S. imperialist ambitions.  Key indicators are in bold.  

To summarize, the primary lies, false narratives and omissions include the need to maintain the largest military BY FAR on the planet, highlighted by the incredible complaint against the sequester that slowed defense spending growth implemented under Obama, the only reason being the quest for world hegemony by force or the threat of force; the war OF terror which is based on the lies that terrorism is the most controlling element on the planet, that we need to spend trillions and amass a military empire to fight terrorism and the omission that 9/11 was a false flag attack with the purpose of justifying the war OF terror and the quest for the New American Century; the false narratives about ISIS and Al Qaeda and the omissions regarding the U.S. and allies creation and support for the very enemies the U.S. government pretends to fight; the lies about Iran being a leading state sponsor of terrorism and that it cannot be allowed to have A nuclear weapon while the United States has been approved by God him/herself to maintain the largest and most up to date stockpile of weapons of mass destruction on the planet; the lies about Russian aggression particularly concerning Ukraine and Syria and the absurd accusation about human rights when considering what's in this country's own house; the outright goal for regime change in Syria, a war started by democratic party president Obama; the incredible hypocrisy accusing North Korea of an "illegal nuclear and missile program" while painting that country as an existential threat and the omissions that the entire United States nuclear weapons program is illegal under international law and the U.S. constitution and that North Korea poses no threat at all and would negotiate if the U.S. government stopped it's provocations; and the continued lies and false narratives about cyber-security and spying against the American people and others creating an intrusive police state.

The U.S. has 291,000 troops stationed in 183 foreign countries, amounting to a global military occupation.  It has deployed special operations troops on secret combat and training missions to 149 countries in 2017 alone. The stated goal of the democratic party, in concert with the republican party, is to maintain this military empire and it uses false narratives and lies to maintain the manufactured enemy list required to justify it's service to the military industrial complex, major corporations and banks, and the oligarchy/plutocracy controlling the U.S. government. 

The entire platform reads like part of a George Orwell novel when compared to reality.  War is Peace, Slavery is Freedom, Murder is Humanitarianism.  

Support Our Troops and Keep Faith with Our Veterans


Democrats believe America must continue to have the strongest military in the world. Donald Trump has called our military “a disaster.” We reject that view of our brave men and women in serving in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. They perform admirably while sacrificing immeasurably.
Defense Spending

We support a smart, predictable defense budget that meets the strategic challenges we face, not the arbitrary cuts that the Republican Congress enacted as part of sequestration. We must prioritize military readiness by making sure our Active, Reserve, and National Guard components remain the best trained and equipped in the world. We will seek a more agile and flexible force and rid the military of outdated Cold War-era systems.

We must end waste in the defense budget. We will audit the Pentagon, launch a high-level commission to review the role of defense contractors, and take greater action against those who have been involved in fraud. And we will ensure that the Department of Defense invests its budget wisely.
Confront Global Threats
Democrats will protect our country. We will strengthen our homeland security, deal wisely and firmly with those who seek to imperil America or our partners, deter aggression, and promote peace. We will use all the tools of American power, especially diplomacy and development, to confront global threats and ensure war is the last resort.

Terrorism

We must defeat ISIS, al Qaeda, and their affiliates, and prevent other groups from emerging in their place. Democrats will continue to lead a broad coalition of allies and partners to destroy ISIS’ stronghold in Iraq and Syria. We will press those in the region, especially the Gulf countries and local forces on the ground, to carry their weight in prosecuting this fight. We will dismantle the global network of terror, which supplies terrorists with money, arms, and fighters, and stop them from recruiting and inspiring potential radicals. We will improve our intelligence capabilities, with appropriate safeguards here at home, and ensure that the intelligence community and law enforcement is prepared to deal effectively with the threats we face. We will harden our defenses as well as those of our partners against external and homegrown threats. We will secure the homeland, investing more resources to improve mass transit, aviation, infrastructure, and port security. And we will remain a resilient nation, always coming together to stand up to terror.

Democrats will seek an updated Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that is more precise about our efforts to defeat ISIS and that does not involve large-scale combat deployment of American troops.

As we prosecute the fight against terrorism, Democrats will repudiate vile tactics that would do us harm. We reject Donald Trump’s vilification of Muslims. It violates the religious freedom that is the bedrock of our country and feeds into ISIS’ nefarious narrative. It also alienates people and countries who are crucial to defeating terrorism; the vast majority of Muslims believe in a future of peace and tolerance. We reject Donald Trump’s suggestion that our military should engage in war crimes, like torturing prisoners or murdering civilian family members of suspected terrorists. These tactics run counter to American principles, undermine our moral standing, cost innocent lives, and endanger Americans. We also firmly reject Donald Trump’s willingness to mire tens of thousands of our combat troops in another misguided ground war in the Middle East, which would only further embolden ISIS. There is nothing smart or strong about such an approach.

Syria

The Syrian crisis is heartbreaking and dangerous, and its impact is threatening the region, Europe, and beyond. Donald Trump would inflame the conflict by alienating our allies, inexplicably allowing ISIS to expand in Syria, and potentially starting a wider war. This is a reckless approach. Democrats will instead root out ISIS and other terrorist groups and bring together the moderate Syrian opposition, international community, and our regional allies to reach a negotiated political transition that ends Assad’s rule. Given the immense scale of human suffering in Syria, it is also imperative that we lead the international community in providing greater humanitarian assistance to the civilian victims of war in Syria and Iraq, especially displaced refugees.

Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, we will work with the NATO-led coalition of partners to bolster the democratically-elected government as it assumes a primary role in tackling terrorism, forges a more secure future for the country, and safeguards advances, like securing women’s rights. Democrats will continue to push for an Afghan-led peace process and press both Afghanistan and Pakistan to deny terrorists sanctuary on either side of the border. We support President Obama’s decision to maintain a limited troop presence in Afghanistan into 2017 and ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a haven for terrorists to plan and launch attacks on our homeland.


Iran

We support the nuclear agreement with Iran because, as it is vigorously enforced and implemented, it verifiably cuts off all of Iran’s pathways to a bomb without resorting to war. We reject Donald Trump’s view that we should have walked away from a deal that peacefully dismantles Iran’s nuclear program. We will continue the work of this administration to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon and will not hesitate to take military action if Iran races towards one.

Democrats will also address the detrimental role Iran plays in the region and will robustly enforce and, if necessary, strengthen non-nuclear sanctions. Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism. It violates the human rights of its population, denies the Holocaust, vows to eliminate Israel, and has its fingerprints on almost every conflict in the Middle East. Democrats will push back against Iran’s destabilizing activities including its support for terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, counter Iran’s ballistic missile program, bolster the capabilities of our Gulf partners, and ensure that Israel always has the ability to defend itself. Finally, Democrats recognize that the Iranian people seek a brighter future for their country and greater engagement with the international community. We will embrace opportunities for cultural, academic and other exchanges with the Iranian people.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/dispelling-the-iranian-terrorism-myth/5624776

North Korea

North Korea is perhaps the most repressive regime on the planet, run by a sadistic dictator. It has conducted several nuclear tests and is attempting to develop the capability to put a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile that could directly threaten the United States. The regime is also responsible for grave human rights abuses against the North Korean people. Yet Donald Trump praises North Korea’s dictator; threatens to abandon our treaty allies, Japan and South Korea; and encourages the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region. This approach is incoherent and rather than solving a global crisis, would create a new one. Democrats will protect America and our allies, press China to restrain North Korea, and sharpen the choices for Pyongyang to compel it to abandon its illegal nuclear and missile programs.

Russia

Russia is engaging in destabilizing actions along its borders, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and attempting to recreate spheres of influence that undermine American interests. It is also propping up the Assad regime in Syria, which is brutally attacking its own citizens. Donald Trump would overturn more than 50 years of American foreign policy by abandoning NATO partners—countries who help us fight terrorism every day—and embracing Russian President Vladimir Putin instead. We believe in strong alliances and will deter Russian aggression, build European resilience, and protect our NATO allies. We will make it clear to Putin that we are prepared to cooperate with him when it is in our interest—as we did on reducing nuclear stockpiles, ensuring Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon, sanctioning North Korea, and resupplying our troops in Afghanistan—but we will not hesitate to stand up to Russian aggression. We will also continue to stand by the Russian people and push the government to respect the fundamental rights of its citizens.

Cybersecurity and Online Privacy

Democrats will protect our industry, infrastructure, and government from cyberattacks. We will strengthen our cybersecurity, seek to establish global norms in cyberspace, and impose consequences on those who violate the rules. We will do this while protecting the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. We will also ensure a coherent strategy across federal agencies by building on the Obama Administration’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan, especially the empowerment of a federal Chief Information Security Officer, the modernization of federal information technology, and upgrades to government-wide cybersecurity.

Democrats reject the false choice between privacy interests and keeping Americans safe. We need liberty and security, and each makes the other possible. We will protect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people—standing firm against the type of warrantless surveillance of American citizens that flourished during the Bush Administration. We support recent reforms to government bulk data collection programs so the government is not collecting and holding millions of files on innocent Americans.

We will support a national commission on digital security and encryption to bring together technology and public safety communities to address the needs of law enforcement, protect the privacy of Americans, assess how innovation might point to new policy approaches, and advance our larger national security and global competitiveness interests.

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Weapons

Democrats are committed to preventing the spread of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and to eventually ridding the planet of these catastrophic weapons. We believe America will be safer in a world with fewer weapons of mass destruction. Donald Trump encourages the spread of nuclear weapons across Asia and the Middle East, which would weaken the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and he is unwilling to rule out using a nuclear weapon against ISIS.
Democrats want to reduce the number of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons around the world, as well as their means of delivery, while retaining a strong deterrent as long as others maintain nuclear strike capabilities. We will strengthen the NPT, push for the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and stop the spread of loose nuclear material.

Democrats will be informed by a new Nuclear Posture Review in determining continued ways to appropriately shape our nuclear deterrent, with the aim of reducing our reliance on nuclear weapons while meeting our national security obligations
. Democrats will also seek new opportunities for further arms control and avoid taking steps that create incentives for the expansion of existing nuclear weapons programs. To this end, we will work to reduce excessive spending on nuclear weapons-related programs that are projected to cost $1 trillion over the next 30 years."