by John Cowley

Created on: September 24, 2008   Last Updated: September 25, 2008

All the commentators are correct when they say that the result of the forthcoming Presidential election will make history, whichever way the numbers fall. If the Democrats win then Obama will become the first African-American President; if the Republicans win then Palin will become the first female Vice-President. However, which ever way this aspect of history will be written after the elections, these details may be considered of minor importance in comparison to the impact any differences in foreign policy will have on the world at large. Although domestic concerns about the economy will determine how many Americans will vote, history is now written in global terms and it will be the subsequent actions of the new President on the international stage which will determine the verdict.

The differences in policy between the two protagonists are much clearer than the media is inclined to portray. The Democrats will attempt to diminish America's role in solving the world's problems through the use of military might and the Republicans will escalate the levels of attrition hoping this strategy will succeed. If previous world history is any guideline then the latter strategy is flawed and highly unlikely to succeed. Any student of history familiar with the decline and fall of the Roman Empire will be able to explain the reasons for this. The American public are already divided on the issue and the political base of either party will be drastically eroded by events over which neither they, nor their government, have sufficient control.

Al-Qaeda will not be overcome by military means just in the same way the Gauls and the Brits refused to accede to Roman domination. In the longer term, the activities of terrorists will erode the will of any nation which is fighting battles on foreign soil in support of doubtful regimes and suffering painfully large casualties. The experiences gained in Vietnam ought to be a history lesson in itself. Now we have diplomatic relations with the same "terrorists" who fought the Americans to a standstill and eventually forced them to abandon that country to a different ideology. In the words of the famous song, "when will they ever learn"?

America is in financial difficulties for three reasons. Firstly, it simply spends more than it earns and then prints money to try to compensate for the losses. Rising oil prices are as much to do with the falling dollar as they have to do with greedy speculators and despotic oil rich countries only too willing to take advantage of any situation. Secondly, it is too engrossed with solving other people's problems rather than focusing on rebuilding essential economic infrastructure at home and, more importantly, winning back the confidence of the American people. Thirdly, it has allowed greedy speculators to take advantage of American families who simply wished to live the dream of owning their own home.

Mr "Would-be President" please cut the rhetoric and tell the people how you intend to fix these problems.

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