[dragoon500ly]

The world is a changing, and the U.S. needs to change along with it.

NATO has changed from a defensive alliance to an alliance in search of some kind of purpose. And in spite of the spin placed on it by various politicans, I really can't see why NATO is in Afghanistan, last time I checked, the Afghans were neither in the north nor on the Atlantic.

Like many Americans, I supported the war in Afghanistan, at least in the early years, after all it was directed towards al-Quida and the Taliban. I have never been happy with any of the excuses offered for invading Iraq. Other than a vague feeling that George W just wanted to finish off what his daddy couldn't do. And for the (mis)conduct of Cheney and Rumsfield....both of them should have been dropped, naked, into Iraq and let them show us how to get'er done!

The real failure of U.S. foreign policy has been its continued support for regimes that don't have the best intrests of the U.S. at heart. Why should we pump billions in foreign aid to every pissant country that turns right around and slams the U.S. in the UN? Or even worse, provides support to the very terrorists that attack the U.S.? Don't get me wrong, providing aid in the wake of a natural disaster is one thing....providing aid that is channeled straight to al-Quida?

The U.S., like all too many nations, has problems that needs to be fixed at home. There should be no homeless in the greatest republic. Our education system should be the envy of the world, health care should be available to all and at reasonable prices. Our factories should be producing products sold around the world. People should realize that there is no better friend nor a more deadly foe than the U.S.

We, as a people, have lost our focus, our pride in what it means to be an American. And we are paying for that today.

The days of the last super power are indeed, numbered.