Foreign Policy Weighs Heavy for Some US Voters

Foreign Policy Weighs Heavy for Some US Voters

Talk at a pro-Palestinian rally in downtown Manchester is not about the weather or the primary, but why President Barack Obama has not yet shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison.

“He’s been wanting to close Guantanamo from the start. [Some say] ‘Oh, he broke his promise,'" a man at the rally said.

Former Peace Corps¹ member Tom Coffman is here to stand up to what he calls a fascist² Donald Trump³ and a fascist Israel.

“I watched fascism be destroyed in South Africa, it’s time to destroy fascism in the Middle East,” Coffman said while holding a sign asking “Got Democracy?”

At this small, silent protest, it’s not national security or the economy that will determine Mary Wilson’s vote – but the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is rarely mentioned by American politicians.

“Anyone who looks at what’s happening in the Middle East in the last few years better care about foreign policy. We think this issue is central to our position in the world, and the safety of our troops and the safety of our people,” the Orford, New Hampshire resident said.

The small group of silent protesters includes Veterans for Peace member Art Desmarais, who questions U.S. policy overseas, whether it is the war in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“Every soldier wants to defend his homeland and their country, but they want to do it under the right ideas, ideas that we were founded on, not ideas that the government says we need to go here and do this or that,” Desmarais said while wearing his U.S. Army uniform.

When it comes to casting his ballot⁴ in the presidential election, Desmarais said he will be thinking beyond his backyard.

“I guess its about finding someone who is going to make choices, not just for us, but the rest of the world, so they have some sense of humanity,” he said.

The sentiment is shared among many here, who say they are skeptical⁵ any presidential candidate, whether Democrat⁶ or Republican, will be able to make a truly positive difference when it comes to U.S. policy overseas.

“We have wackos like Ted⁷ Cruz and fascists⁸ like Donald Trump. We have capitalist apologists like Hillary Clinton, we have a progressive like Bernie,” Coffman said. “But what are they going to do to liberate⁹ American foreign policy so that it supports and not destroys people all over the planet?”

1 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 fascist   

adj.法西斯主义的；法西斯党的；n.法西斯主义者，法西斯分子

参考例句：

• The strikers were roughed up by the fascist cops.罢工工人遭到法西斯警察的殴打。
• They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship.他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

5 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

8 fascists   

n.法西斯主义的支持者( fascist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists. 老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。