Where are We Today and How Did We Get Here?.
The typical American citizen knows very little about American foreign policy. I realize that is a very broad, general statement. Nevertheless, it is true. Its not that the typical American isn't capable of understanding American foreign policy, but rather that we choose not to. The typical American takes a more domestic approach to life. As a rule, we are born, we live, and we expire without ever leaving American soil. When we die we leave younger generations of children and grandchildren to repeat the cycle. We take so many things for granted. We have the right to participate in the electoral process to choose our country's leaders. We have the freedom of speech and press. We have the right to live where we choose. We can choose to pursue higher education or we can choose otherwise. We have the luxury of determining the profession or occupation we practice in life. We can even choose, as most Americans do, to ignore the role that American foreign policy plays in our ability to enjoy such freedoms. We have had this option for generations. However, with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentagon in Washington D.C., Americans are taking a more in-depth look at our foreign policy. It has become obvious to many Americans that what is taking place on foreign soil has a very real impact upon what takes place on American soil. Armed with this knowledge many Americans are now formulating their own opinions of what our foreign policy should be. Many Americans want to know how we arrived at our present foreign policy. An evening in front of his television set watching his daily dose of world news from CNN or MSNBC or some other news station tells the typical American that we are engaged in global conflict. Within the past year or so we have invaded Afghanistan and removed the ruling Taliban from power.