There are many dangers in today's world. Most of these dangers stem from bad leadership rather than bad countries. The U.S. is a superpower that has great values and that is generally a good country for its citizens.

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I am not very informed about the Eastern European issues that made Russia stand up to the U.S. and NATO, but I can safely say that the world with a single superpower has not been that safe. I don't know if George W. Bush would have made his adventure into Iraq had the Russians been a force to reckon with or not, but I am sure that the White House and Pentagon would have had to think much harder about it before getting themselves into the mess they have.

For a long time, most people around the world had two contradictory views about the U.S. They liked America’s people, their values, their simplicity and their openness. People love to send their children to study in America because of its liberal arts colleges and universities and the general willingness of Americans to accept people of other cultures (because they themselves come from different backgrounds).

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The whole issue of word usage must be revisited. "Terrorism" (and the so-called war against it) has been overused and abused at the expense of innocent civilians. It is ironic that an Armenian woman in Iraq became the latest victim of an overzealous private security firm on the very same day that Congress voted to recognize what happened to the Armenians.

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At a time that world problems need an international leader, the single superpower in the world has been running away from a global leadership position. The hawkish and divisiveness of President Bush on political and environmental issues have alienated America in the eyes of the peoples of the world. But the upcoming U.S. elections provide an opportunity for a change. Can the next U.S. president also be a global president?

Ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, people have been considering the fact that American citizens are really voting for a president whose powers and influences affect the entire globe. The failure of the Bush administration to honor the Kyoto treaty, its rejection of global warming, and its failure to convince the world to join it in an unnecessary war against Iraq have alienated the peoples of the world.

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The Current Discussion: The G-8 summit is Bush's last hurrah as a world leader. What's one thing he can do to strengthen his legacy?

The one thing President Bush can do to salvage his legacy is to carry out his own public promise to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians before the end of his term. While this always appeared to be a tall order, it is not impossible. A number of the pieces are in place for such a deal and will be at least until this fall to allow him, if he chooses to focus on this mission, to make it work. It is known in the Middle East that only the power of the office of the President of the United States can move this process ahead.

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The Current Discussion: In their campaign, should Barack Obama and running mate Joseph Biden advocate a clean break in U.S. foreign policy, or should they rely on continuity and experience?

Obama and Biden need to give foreign affairs a new perspective and a new direction. The greatest gift that an Obama administration can give the world is consistency. America's foreign policy should equate to its domestic policy. Whatever is good for Americans should be good for the rest of the world. Human rights, civil rights and personal freedoms should be advocated both within and without U.S. borders.

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The Current Discussion: What's the first thing you hope Barack Obama does as President-Elect?

The first thing the new president should do is to close Guantanamo prison. This could easily be the most visible way to restore the United States' standing as a country that respects the rule of law, truly opposes torture, and is willing to abide by international treaties. This can be done quickly and will have clear and visible impact. Any persons still in that awfuljail should either be tried in the U.S. or sent to their home countries, on condition that they be treated in accordance with international law.

The Current Discussion: The U.S. will lift travel restrictions on Cuba, but leave the larger trade embargo in place. Is that a smart move? Does it go far enough? Too far?

Lifting restrictions on Cuba can be seen as part of a more pragmatic foreign policy. One hopes it's an acknowledgment that long-term boycotts have limited success in producing their desired result. In this respect, it will be interesting to see how the new Cuban situation will affect American relations with Iran, which the U.S. has boycotted for decades with little to show for its actions.

If this indeed is the case we should expect a robust U.S. foreign attempt to reach a pragmatic solution with Iran and other problem areas. The moral of the story is that long-term boycotts simply don't work.

The Current Discussion: Are Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama on a collision course over Iran and the Palestinian problem? What would be the consequences of a breach between the United States and Israel?

If Netanyahu and Lieberman continue on their course of denying Palestinians their right to self-determination, and continue denying that they have nuclear weapons while threatening to bomb Iran's civilian nuclear facilities, yes - this will bring Israel and the U.S. onto a collision course.

President Obama is trying to find a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Iran nuclear program. This is the only sensible way forward. If we have learned anything in the last 60 years is that there is absolutely no military or violent solution for Palestine or for Iran.

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