In his final address, George Washington cautioned us to avoid treaties with other nations and to evade meddling within others internal affairs.

Conversely, as Andrew Jackson secured the office of the President, we evoked Manifest Destiny beginning a process of neutralizing or eradicating the ancient Native American tribes. Later, Roosevelt flaunted the Great White Fleet stirring Japan’s reach. What fire burns in such sweet sorrow that forces the perpetual dilemma?

Recently my friend inquired, “How are you so certain?* How do you know?”* I can neither express nor articulate the intuition flooding through my damaged hippocampus pouring south along the tributaries of my brain stem, channeling through my broken thyroid, and merging into my heart swelling in calm warm springs like the hot baths of Big Sur.* The dam burst.* I just know. It just is.
In a world of uncertainty, chance and circumstance are masked by notions of reason and rationale.* Some things are best left undefined.* All things considered, some mysteries are left only to God.* They just are.* How does a squirrel know to spread the tree’s seed?* How does a rooster know when to crow?*

Does it make me crazy to believe that the dreams of my youth can unfold after all that I’ve done, all that I’ve witnessed, all that corrupted?* Certainly not.* Quite possibly, the crucible of tragedy tempers the coal melding rough and coarse into beauty sparking creative thought. Maybe we simply must let go of expectation, dream with arms wide open, breathe deeply, and embrace the storms.* The storms bring rain, but they also bring rainbows. Maybe one cannot appreciate the rainbow unless he has walked through the storm.
This is how I know. This essay (or maybe it is simple conversation) will explore our collective national thought and attempt to expand towards a refined diplomacy and policy. I will continue to rely on my individual experience as that is my field of expertise. Hopefully, conversation will be generated and new ideas emerge.