This month, the NewBostonPost is focusing on foreign policy.
Much has changed in the world since Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” The specter of communism has vanished, defeated by those who recognized its inherent evil, its credibility destroyed by the close to 100 million dead it left behind. But the enemies of freedom remain, lurking under cover and within shifting alliances tinged in shades of grey.
In 2016, Americans are increasingly concerned with domestic affairs more than international ones. According to Pew’s 2016 Global Attitude Survey, 57 percent of Americans want the U.S. to deal with matters at home and let other countries deal with their own problems. To many, military engagement abroad appears futile and conflicts far from home seem irrelevant to personal wellbeing.
But despite the desire to withdraw, Americans today are impacted by global events and the U.S. response to them more than ever. Whether we wish to acknowledge it or not, U.S. foreign policy with respect to the global terrorist threat, international trade and global economic relations, the Middle East refugee crisis, and countless other issues impacts our lives daily.
This month, the NewBostonPost explores US foreign policy from both a national and regional perspective. Our stories cover the foreign policy views of the two presidential candidates and of New England’s Washington delegation. We explore the American response to the international refugee crisis, the United States’ role in NATO and other international organizations, and our country’s response to radical Islamic terrorism at home and abroad.
We will also bring you stories about the many ways that US foreign policy affects local interests – from safety to job creation. We will cover the opinions of local academics on the subject and look at student activism and the role of colleges in shaping opinions on US foreign policy. And we will investigate the interests of local businesses in US foreign policy as it pertains to the opening and protection of foreign markets as well as trade policy. In so doing, we hope to show just how important the topic of foreign policy is to all Americans. At the NewBostonPost, we hope to draw attention to the global entanglements we face even as a local community, far from Washington, D.C.
As our stories show, America’s position in the world does not allow her to step back into passivity. The world needs America now, more than ever. And America needs the world and strong international alliances to ensure her safety and continued prosperity.
(Courtesy of Wikimedia) 
