John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, can claim considerable experience in international affairs.  He has spent the greater part of 30 years in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

He dealt with international issues in the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Commerce.  A distinguished naval officer, McCain served in international postings and was imprisoned in a Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp for five years.

“Being a great power does not mean that we can do whatever we want whenever we want,” McCain said in an article from Foreign Affairs magazine.  “Nor should we assume that we have all the wisdom, knowledge, and resources necessary to succeed.”

Today, understanding foreign cultures is not a luxury but a strategic necessity. John McCainMcCain emphasized the need to rebuild relationships with international allies.  He expressed disappointment over the deterioration of the Transatlantic Partnership.  America should embrace the new confident European Union and partner with it to form international policy.

McCain’s plan also includes an increased presence in Asia.  He plans to support Japan and increase ties with China. 

China’s sudden rise in power will be an issue for the next president, McCain said.  China is not necessarily an enemy, but must be required to be internationally responsible and follow sanctions.

The war on terror presents another issue for presidential hopefuls.  McCain supports the war in Iraq, but acknowledges that it was mishandled.  He will not withdraw troops until the country is stable.  He criticizes his opponents’ plan to pull out of Iraq saying it would inevitably fail and cause greater problems in the Middle East.

"Iran presents a great threat to national security," said McCain.  Tougher sanctions must be applied.  McCain states action must be taken with or without United Nations support and military action cannot be taken off the table.

“Today, understanding foreign cultures is not a luxury but a strategic necessity,” McCain said.

McCain called for a multicultural education for American armed forces.  He claimed all service academies should require studying abroad. A new program in civilian and military schools would teach key languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Farsi and Pashto, McCain proposed.  

He would also create an Army Advisory Corps of 20,000 soldiers to partner with militaries abroad. America’s military must become more global.

“Our organizations and partnerships must be as international as the challenges we confront,” McCain said.

Perhaps his most visionary new idea, McCain plans to create a League of Democracies.  This organization would not take the place of the United Nations, said McCain.  It would be a like-minded coalition of countries to relieve human suffering in Darfur, help solve the AIDS epidemic in Africa, globally organize environmental actions and protect struggling democracies.  The League of Democracies would act where the United Nations fails, McCain said.

One of McCain’s goals in the international realm would be to eradicate malaria in Africa.  This disease, which has been eliminated in most parts of the world, is the No. 1 killer of children under the age of five in Africa.  McCain also believes America is not taking sufficient action to stop the atrocities in Darfur.  

McCain said the international image of America must be improved.  Polls indicate that the United States is more unpopular now than at any time in history.  The country is viewed as only pursuing its own interests.  McCain will implement his foreign policy programs in an attempt to increase the standing and reputation of the United States around the world.