Oregon Strategist

Reinventing the Oregon Dream

A Quiet Diplomacy: Syria, Iran and the future of U.S. foreign policy

December 4, 2013 by Tim Crawley

Iran Nuclear DealWith a deal struck to lighten sanctions on Iran in exchange for access to and observation of the Iranian nuclear program, and a political resistance to entering another foreign entanglement in Syria, it appears the United States has entered into a new era on foreign policy.

The truth is, that when it comes to the Middle East, relationships are tenuous and the ground ever-shifting. Such a dynamic is a natural cause for hesitancy to involve oneself in the region’s disputes. Syria represents an extraordinarily complex patchwork of alliances and feuds. Hezbollah, the predominant militant group in Lebanon, supports Syrian President Bashar al Assad and the government. Al Qaida has taken up arms in resistance to Syria’s regime.

And yet our hands-off approach with Syria has proved advantageous from the standpoint that we have not entangled ourselves in a drag-out conflict where sides are blurred and resources are squandered. In fact, the fighting between opposition forces and the Syrian government has resulted in steps towards the dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons. The tragedy of 100,000 dead and the creation of nearly three million refugees was very nearly one that would have been shouldered by the U.S.

With uncertainty as to Egypt’s future, pressure on the Iran issue from the hawks in Israel, and an ongoing siphon of U.S. resources just to the east in Afghanistan, there is no question why the U.S. is playing its cards with caution.

And as far as the U.S. is concerned with Iran, frankly, the Iranian nuclear interim agreement represents the absolute best case scenario for the U.S. under current circumstances. A war with Iran would result in tragic levels of debt at the least, and a massive humanitarian tragedy at the most. Iran has emphatically stated it will never stop enriching uranium so, short of war and with no agreement, Iran would find a way to obtain a nuclear weapon. The U.S. has bargained for a higher vantage point in its relationship with Iran. While the deal might seem like a short-term failure given that Iran appears to have given up relatively little in exchange for $7 billion in sanctions relief, the truth is that the U.S. stands to gain a long-term position as one of the foreign overseers of Iran’s domestic nuclear program. If anything goes wrong in the interim, the United States along with its allies can impose even harsher sanctions (or even go to war if one wants to take it that far).

Israeli’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has not stifled any disagreement with the plan labeling the move as an “historic mistake.” And Israel’s concerns are valid. An Iran with nuclear military capabilities poses a threat to Israel’s security. But a war with Iran, over a program Iran agrees will be overseen by international observers for domestic production, would be premature to say the least – especially since the U.S. would be footing the cost.

All of this begs the question: What now is our nation’s role in the Middle East and in international affairs more broadly? While we are reducing our military presence in Europe we are only expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. How are we to take into account the nearly one trillion dollars scheduled in Defense cuts over the next decade?

The answer may lie in the kind of wait-and-see diplomacy demonstrated by our exercise of restraint in Syria and the Iranian nuclear interim agreement. Certainly it makes sense when looking at the bill.

Filed Under: International, National Tagged With: Afghanistan, allies, Asia-Pacific, Bashar, Bashar al-Assad, bombing, budget cuts, Chemical Weapons, cost of war, death toll, debt, Defense budget, diplomacy, domestic production, Egypt, enriching uranium, Europe, foreign policy, Government, Hassan, Hassan Rouhani, hawk, Hezbollah, historic mistake, Iran, iran nuclear deal, Iranian, Iranian Embassy, Israel, Israeli Prime Minister, John Kerry, Kerry, Lebanon, Middle East, Military Affairs, military threat, Nasrallah, Negotiations, Netanyahu, nuclear, nuclear bomb, nuclear deal, nuclear energy, nuclear negotiations, nuclear threat, Prime Minister, quiet diplomacy, refugees, Rouhani, sanctions, Syria, Syria death toll, threat, trade sanctions, U.S. allies, United States, War

Youth and the Republican Party: An American Recovery

November 4, 2013 by Tim Crawley

Republican Elephant and Democratic DonkeyParty warfare and polarization of ideologies may be significantly to blame for the finger-pointing and squabbling in Washington D.C. Open primaries, term limits, and policies that suspend Congressional pay if shutdowns occur are just some of the answers to questions of how we must reform the internal mechanisms of our government in order to get back on track for being a proud and confident nation.

Yet, these policies may be some time away from now until young leaders are put in power that are willing to limit their own power for long-term objectives. Until that time, we must ask serious questions about how all of us – Republicans, Democrats and Independents – can come together to help shape the new Republican Party and bring back a balance of power to the system to check the unprecedented spending and waste in our federal government.

Every dollar our government spends today is a dollar that young people will have to pay back in their future. This is inherently unfair and unjust. Entrenched leaders in Washington D.C. continue to waste the money of future generations for their own political short-term gain. Our interests, the interests of those in their thirties, twenties and younger – are not being represented.

Young people have an opportunity to take over the Republican Party here in Oregon – be you Democrat, Republican or Independent. We have the opportunity to shape the party for ourselves and take back what is our future to spend – not theirs.

And conservative and progressive values, the real kind that is (as opposed to the kind promoted by the media), may be the kind we younger generations can embrace. We know what it is like to be under the weight of massive educational debt, not to have the employment opportunities we were told would be waiting for us on the other side, and to find ourselves unable to fulfill our American Dreams.

Our current leaders have failed us. We must now take up the torch and lead with real principles. That is, with self-sacrifice, courage, and pride in a future America we can own and love.

Entitlements are wasting our money. Military ventures are wasting our money. Centralized corporate-sponsored federal programs are wasting our money. Congress is wasting our money. This is our future. We want this future to be green, healthy, productive, and local.

To get back in the game we must go to work. We must find work in any sector. If it means working in an area we perceive to be below our educational level, we must work. We must reject anything handed to us. Only then can we hold our heads high. And we must hold our heads high in order to lead.

We will bring jobs back from overseas. We will go to the ports, find out what China is shipping to us, and make those products here. We will make them better and less expensive. We will encourage entrepreneurs. We will educate. We will stockpile. Our future will be one of great influence.

We will put our money into credit unions and keep our organizations nimble, flexible and local – like Privateers. We will execute a trade surplus and pay down our deficit. And we will not be reckless with the future of our next wave of youth.

We will reform Congress. We will take only one term in any given political office and will condemn political entrenchment and the establishment. We will limit our salaries because what we do is a service to our Great Nation, not a pillage of our Great Nation. We will give back, we will pay the way forward, we will unite, we will overcome and we will live mightily on our principles, work and love.

Timothy Crawley, a native son of Oregon, is a candidate for the 2014 United States Senate seat for Oregon.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Economy, Education, Environment, International, National, Portland Tagged With: Albany, Ashland, Astoria, Baker City, Balance of Power, Bandon, Banks, Beaverton, Bend, Black Butte Ranch, Brookings, Cannon Beach, Clatskanie, Conservative, Coos Bay, corporation salaries, corporations, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Crawley, credit unions, debt, Democrat, Democratic Party, domestic, economic reform, Economy, Education, employment, entitlements, entrepreneurs, Eugene, Florence, Forest Grove, Fossil, Gold Beach, Grants Pass, Great Recession, Gresham, Hillsboro, Hood River, Independent, Independent Party, Inequality, international, jobs, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Labor, Lake Oswego, Lincoln City, Manzanita, McMinnville, Medford, media, military, Milwaukie, money, Newberg, Newport, Oregon, Oregon City, Party, Pendleton, political reform, poor, Portland, ports, Prineville, Progressive, Recovery, Redmond, reform, Republican, Republican Party, Rockaway Beach, Roseburg, Salem, Seaside, Sherwood, Sisters, Springfield, student loans, term limits, The Dalles, Tigard, Tillamook, Tim, Tim Crawley, Timothy, Timothy Crawley, trade deficit, trade surplus, Troutdale, Tualatin, unemployment, value, values, Washington D.C., Wealth, wealth inequality, wealth stratification, West Linn, Wilsonville, Youth

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