The goal of our national security and foreign policy strategies should always be peace and an end to tyranny around the world. Previous administrations have not always had the public good in mind when going to war and putting Americans in harm’s way. The path to a peaceful global community is paved with diplomacy, not endless wars.

Supporting Cyber Command

With Chinese and Russian cyber-attacks, we are now in a new, digital Cold War. Our next attack from another country will not be on the battlefield, but between computers. Cyber-attacks have the capability to breach our power grids, disrupt emergency services, and steal sensitive information from the military and the American public. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ● Increasing funding of U.S. Cyber Command to defend the United States of America.
• ● Broadening Cyber Command’s scope to defend American elections, the power grid, and American interests abroad.

Department of Defense and Climate Change

If the Department of Defense were its own country, it would be the 5th highest carbon dioxide emitter on Earth. If residents and corporations are expected to find solutions to climate change, our government should be held to the same responsibility. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ● Allowing the Department of Defense to recognize climate change as a national security threat as previously outlined in Pentagon threat assessments.
• ● Identifying opportunities where the Department of Defense can reduce carbon dioxide emissions without negatively affecting military readiness.

Human Rights

Around the world, there are hundreds of millions suffering every day at the hands of their own governments. As global stewards of democracy and freedom, the United States of America cannot sit by idly as innocents are victimized by their own people. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ● Working with the United Nations and other countries to address humanitarian crises in North Korea and lran.
• ● Recognizing the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar.
• ● Ending American involvement in the war in Yemen.
• ● Facilitating peace talks between Pakistan, India, and Kashmir.
• ● Strengthening election security in new democracies to prevent autocracy and corrupted voting results.
• ● Recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

Denuclearization

Since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the use of nuclear weapons has become a global concern. With modern nuclear weapons, their use would be truly world-ending and humanity would benefit from a world with much fewer nuclear warheads. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ● Negotiating denuclearization with Iran and North Korea.
• ● Working towards nuclear disarmament around the world starting with volatile countries such as India and Pakistan.

Africa

The continent of Africa and its residents has been exploited for centuries. As a result of centuries of enslavement and oppressive colonialism, African countries have been barred from the same development and success as other regions of the world. Our global community does best when everyone has access to essentials, domestic and international economic development, and healthy living. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ● Increasing American support of economic development in African countries.
• ● Working with Saharan countries to build solar farms to provide renewable energy to nearby residents.
• ● Increasing funding for government and nonprofit programs to ensure access to clean water through USAID and groups like the Water Project.
• ● Working with governments and nonprofits to end the practice of female genital mutilation.
• ● Working with governments and nonprofits to end poaching and the continued extinction of endangered animals.

Israel and Palestine

For decades, the disagreements between Israel and Palestine have fueled conflict in the region. As we move further into the 21st century, peace and compromise must be made between the Israelis and Palestinians that respects both communities and international law. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ● A two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
• ● Ending Israeli occupation and expansion into Palestinian territories.
• ● Encouraging negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
• ● Classifying Jerusalem as a neutral zone that is self-governing because of the extreme significance to multiple religions.
• ● Increasing support to NGOs that provide Palestinians with access to clean water, food, education, and medical care.
• ● Opposing BDS and efforts to delegitimize Israel.

Venezuela

Since the political uprisings of Operación Libertad in 2019, the humanitarian and democratic crisis in Venezuela continues to persist. Moreover, the collapsing Venezuelan economy is seeing a rise of hyperinflation at 10 million percent. Millions of Venezuelans have fled from the country due to food and medicine shortages, a lack of clean water, electricity blackouts, etc. The United States cannot continue its neutral stance concerning this humanitarian crisis. The United States and its allies must restore economic and political stability in Venezuela. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ● Seeking democratic transition and resolutions to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.
• ● Recognizing Juan Guaidó as the constitutional interim President of Venezuela.
• ● Ensuring the establishment of a peaceful and democratic Venezuelan government with free and fair elections.
• ● Negotiating with the United Nations to assist in Venezuelan humanitarian and stabilization efforts. 
• ● Supporting non-governmental relief programs in Venezuela and its neighboring countries.
• ● Extending Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans residing in the US. 

Condemning China’s Treatment of the Uighurs 

China’s horrific treatment of the Uighur people should be condemned by the US government. The surveillance and suppression of the Muslim population in Xinjiang is atrocious and should not be ignored. The existence of concentration camps and surveillance of mosques and neighborhoods has resulted in an unjust oppression of the Uighur people. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports sanctions on Chinese industries and officials until Uighur concentration camps close.

Data Encryption and Privacy Protection

The United States has long been proud of its various freedoms and liberties. In the United States, Americans have the right to free speech and privacy. A United States without these freedoms is unheard of. We must protect our rights from unconstitutional behaviors. We have the right to promote activism and post on social media as we wish without fear of employer retaliation or government punishment. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports rejecting the EARN IT Act of 2020 that will kill encryption protections and stifle activism efforts on social media.

Counterterrorism

The greatest threats to national security are domestic and foreign terror groups like ISIS and white supremacist militias that represent the opposite of American values. Global terror threatens the wellbeing of Americans at home and abroad, and must be brought to heel through a coordinated international coalition that balance military and diplomatic solutions. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ●Dismantling the global network of terror by inhibiting terrorists’ access to banking and weapons in coordination and curtailing recruitment and radicalization efforts.
• ● Continuing the attacks on ISIS strongholds and humanitarian efforts to stabilize affected areas and help rebuild communities destroyed by armed conflict. 
• ● Increasing federal funding to track and dismantle domestic terror groups. 
• ● Revoking policies like the Muslim travel ban that scapegoat and slander Muslim populations in the United States and abroad. 
• ● Updating the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to create narrow definitions that allow for unilateral action by the President without consulting Congress. 
• ● Ending the torturous detention program at the American facility in Guantanamo Bay. 

International Institutions

International institutions are cornerstones of peace, security, and stability around the world. Through peaceful diplomatic efforts, the United States should be an active member of such institutions that prioritize human rights and democracy. Furthermore, American participation in international organizations is essential for their effectiveness within the international system. Friends of Intelligent Democracy supports:

• ● Continuing American membership in NATO. 
• ● Supporting American membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ensure the rule of law around the world.
• ● Creating a new alliance that brings together the world’s largest and most advanced democracies to boost each other’s economies and counter the threat posed by Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.