A new US Foreign Policy - Speak softly by carrying a big stick - the Wand of Hermes

The new president has declared his intention to change US Foreign Policy from the apparent heavy handed global policeman to a kinder more understanding big brother. If there is one single attribute of all things American that I have yet to hear any other country denigrate, that is this country's medical care. The US is the place that many foreigners seek to go for specialist medical care when their own country does not have the resources. In some cases the recipients of American medical treatment have been self declared foes of the United States and yet they still they step on the soil of the evil Satan to get treated. This unique and beneficial attribute of American culture is one which could be used to mend relations countries with whom the US is at loggerheads or where its seeks to be peacemaker.

"Speak Softly By Carrying a Big Stick – the wand of Hermes" is a word play on the Roosevelt policy "Speak Softly and Carry a Big stick" the difference being that the big stick proposed in this article is American quality medical treatment not the sword. The wand of Hermes is the medical symbol which has been used since Greek times to symbolize medicine. Today that same symbol, a short herald's staff entwined by two serpents in the form of a double helix, is often called the caduceus. In 1902 the caduceus was adopted by the US Medical Corps as their insignia and their ‘big stick' has ever since been used by the American military to wield kindness not confrontation.

Imagine a new US foreign policy for countries at war or suffering political strife or natural disasters which would provide unconditional US medical treatment not in the US itself but abroad inside or close to the theater of action. Imagine prefabricated hospitals, staffed by American Doctors, airlifted into war torn areas such as Darfur or a US hospital ship stationed in the Mediterranean offshore Gaza providing helicopter shuttles to treat innocent civilians injured in the current war. Imagine also a Guantanamo Bay facility converted into an offshore hospital base where the injured displaced by war could be sent for treatment.

Actions speak louder than words so providing much needed medical treatment across the globe would go far to recast America from global policeman to global benefactor. The government is proposing to spend trillions of dollars to create new jobs in 2009 so what could be better than a plan that simultaneously creates large numbers of new jobs and exports a new and kinder face of American foreign policy. The proposed ‘Wand of Hermes' plan would also provide an upside for the sagging US economy by creating new jobs in the shipping industry for refitting cruise ships as floating hospitals; creating construction jobs for Americans building prefabricated hospitals and above all creating tens of thousands of jobs for doctors and nurses to work abroad in land based and maritime medical facilities. Think of Medical Boat Diplomacy instead of Gun Boat Diplomacy.
The ‘Wand of Hermes' plan would also bring far reaching long term benefits by exposing American citizens to foreign cultures and improve their understanding of the world outside our borders and by the same token allow foreigners to see America at its best literally as healer among mankind.

Vince Waterson is VP of business development at a telecommunications company based in California.

Source: Vince Waterson, VP of business development at Caifornia