Relationships and interactions help to mold who we are as people; held against the light of others, both strengths and weaknesses, dreads and dreams, become evident; our country's relationship with the world thus has crafted and defined its individual personality. People, as well as the entities they create, must be examined from all levels, from all heights; we need to observe our country as a singularity, and we also need to draw back on the camera, to pan out, and see The United States in the broader context of international relations and affairs. This broad outlook, this wide angle shot, is particularly crucial in this new, globalized age. No man is an island; no nation is an island either. We are the sum of our parts, and these parts extend way beyond our political and physical borders. These parts define who we are, and who we will be 20, 30, 50 years from now. We must be respected in the world to accomplish our collective goals and aspirations; but this respect must be reciprocated; we are beyond the age of imposing will on the unwilling; we need to offer goodwill to the willing.
This world, I hope, will be seeing a new face of the United States next year. An image so battered and bruised, emotionally, politically, and economically, around the world; an image in dire need of a makeover that is more than skin deep. It will be impossible to undo the errors and deceptions of the last 8 years; what is done is done, and there is no meaningful point forward that dwells in the past. Quite simply, this country needs to not make the same mistakes again; we need to learn from our errors, to become that beacon of hope and courage once again. We are at the breaking point; we simply cannot afford the misguided actions which have pervaded Washington's policies.
I strongly believe the only man capable of encapsulating this new era for America is Barack Obama. And last night, he claimed the Democratic Nomination for President, thus becoming the first African American to lead a major political party in a Presidential election; I believe this is a moment that all Americans, regardless of skin color, party affiliation, or socio-economic background, should be proud of; this is a historic day for the ongoing history of the United States of America. We should all be proud that we, indeed, have come so far. But there is still much farther to go.
The most important subject right now is developing a new energy policy. This will be either our success or failure as a nation; the current path cannot be maintained. We need to lead the world as we have done in the past; this is the key to reclaiming our economic and moral leadership around the globe. These are guiding points in Obama's energy plan, which I fully support as bold and necessary.
* Invest $150 Billion over 10 Years in Clean Energy: Obama will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid. A principal focus of this fund will be devoted to ensuring that technologies that are developed in the U.S. are rapidly commercialized in the U.S. and deployed around the globe.
* Double Energy Research and Development Funding: Obama will double science and research funding for clean energy projects including those that make use of our biomass, solar and wind resources.
