can't be measured. the students learn caring skills and for the elderly the last year of life is much more vebility. be al jazeera be netherlands. >> and jennifer glasse reports on the role elders are playing. playing. world's soul superpower. three competing visions of american foreign policy, and a battle for breathing room in the bronx, targetting trucks to fight pollution in a poor neighbourhood in less than a year and a half the american people will elect a new president. that man or woman will play a critical role in describing america's responses or nonresponses to a host of

threats beyond our bordersers threats to peace, democracy and human rights, taking place. no matter where you stand, your vote is an expression of what direction you want the next president to steer american foreign policy. in a moment i'll debate the risks we face, which says american policy has been, "incoe herent", nowhere does it fit more than the involvement in the middle east. george w. bush targeted the invasion under a false premise, that saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction. 12 years and $$12 trillion later, many have been killed in iraq. the ricky deaths is in the hundreds of thousands of the out of the chaos left behind when

u.s. troops left iraq in 2011 came i.s.i.l. the fighters sweeping into northern and western iraq, controlling half of neighbouring syria. in 2011, president obama was forced to confront an arab spring movement. the region is in crisis and america's role is unclear. mike viqueira has the story egypt 2011, president obama struggles to react, late to call for the ouster of hosni mubarak, and comparing the protesters to revolution. >> we cannot hesitate to stand on the side of those reaching for their rights. knowing that their success will bring about a world that is more stable, peaceful and just. >> four years later the region stable. >> in yemen, a rebel advance, a saudi-led air campaign to drive

them back. the u.s. goes along, playing a supportive role behind the scenes. in syria, four years of civil war. they want allies to go after bashar al-assad, but president obama will not since the dawning of the arab spring president obama encouraged regional allies to take the lead. >> the u.s. has not worried. who would fill in the vacuum. a vacuum exists in libya, spring 2011. allies unleash a bombing campaign kousting muammar gaddafi. leading the charm, the french. president obama declared the operation a success. >> without putting a single u.s. service member on the ground we achieved our objectives. >> it didn't last. libya devolved into chaos.

groups gaped a foothold aring triggering an exodus by sea. thousands decide. many are looking to lead. >> that's a saying you may try to get out of the middle east, but it pulls you back. >> the saudis are leading the fight in yemen. if you u.s. is not calling the shots, it cannot call the tune, each if it objects to the methods and has concerns about the goal. >> i see a disagreement about what the saudi arabia and g cc countries are trying to do and happen. >> pressuring allies led to friction. the campaign in yemen is carried out with american-made weapons. >> the concern that they have is that the united states seems to want to hand over the keys, buts then direct what they do. >> what are the options? >> the president, a war weary nation reluctant to commit more american load and treasure.

>> had we sent forces to libya, sent troops to syria, and maintained troops in iraq. things would be worse than they are. in part because the u.s. does not have a solution. whether it's military for political. smartly, this president had understood that. >> others see a president instructing to react. >> i think he's become less confident he can direct us. there was a sense among some in the white house that the u.s. could help to lead the way. >> well, the turmoil in the middle east is one reason that america has to adopt a foreign policy reflecting a hard choice a choice about the nation's stance. that is the view put forth in a new back, three choices about america's role in the world. by ian bremer, from a global risk consulting group.

he says it will be the only world superpower and asks a reader, a question that any candidate must answer, what role do you want america to play in the world. i asked brendan lemieux about the three choices. >> you outlined three possible roads down which they can go. three possible foreign policy options. one of them is independent america. the idea that it is time for washington to declare independence from the responsibility to solve everyone else's problems. the rand pauls and of the world like the idea. deal with the problems, not everywhere else. you from social media use smi and you post things on facebook. north korea must give up nukes, russia must leave ukraine, that thinking. >> we say it all the time, it's

all things that americans can say. if you are going to continue to draw red lines, whether it's on i.s.i.s. or russia or syria, you name it, if we are not going to stand up to it, stop drawing the redline. this is a response to a policy that is not about obama, it's about the collapse. we overreacted. we said waca moll. our allies don't know what we stand for, our adversaries are infridging and we have to determine what we think the country stands for. >> what you are describing seemed to work under the regan administration, a place where the foreign policy was clear and the waca moll was consistent and we were beating people lack. >> look, i think when the soviet union existed even though some presidents were stronger, some

weaker, we talked about voice of america, making the world safe from communism, n.a.t.o. and others, it was clear we had an indispensable american, we were global to be the global police many, support our allies and promote huge jm democracy and the free market. if you look around a lot say they want to do those things, but few that want the bill for it. this is true in the middle eastern asia and all of the environments. so many presidential candidates are really making talking points by declaring the world is on fire. they are saying little about what we should do about it. >> money ball america is another option, one of three put forward, you say it's an idea that acknowledges that the u.s. can't manage every international crisis, but should manage those that are involved in defending u.s. interests where they are threatened.

president obama might have adopted this. this may be the closest to what he was doing. when hillary clinton ran the state department they were close to the reset with russia. one. >> i think hillary clinton as secretary of state tried on money ball for size saying you don't criticize your banker op human rights, talking about china. it was not promoting values, but trying to get more for less, value back from the americans. the russian reset didn't working the war on libya didn't really work, they are tactics, the strategy was more of a money ball strategy. they had a hard time sticking with it. >> let's talk about the third idea you put forward, indispensable america, insisting that washington can promote values on which stability depends. is this the kind of thing they should do.

there's - i came out of a segment on big government, whether it should be involved, a lot say america is the only power to keep the world safe. >> i accept the fact that if the united states does not act as a global leader, no one else is going to. that is very clear. china is prepared to challenge the americans economically, he have those aspirations, but they will not try to fix the challenges. there's reasons to believe that america could be indispensable. when you hear marco rubio give speeches, that are coherent and you see the demands to destroy i.s.i.s., and you know the iraqis can't do it, iranians are problematic, who else is going to do it, but the cost of that, the willingness of the americans to stand up and say not just that we want to do them, but treasure. >> i'm not hearing a main stream presidential candidate yet offering that up.

thesis. >> it's very interesting. i would say this is an election where we do have candidates talking about foreign policy, where president obama is week and numbers are bad. they are talking on indispensable game, but not getting in the specifics of how to pay it, it means we are in danger of having four 4-8 years of an incoherent force on foreign

in louisiana frustrations have to contend with crumbling schools in need of funding and repairs, it may surprise you to learn that a school that is rebuilt would cause controversy, that is what is happening with booker t high school in new orleans. it was severely damaged by hurricane katrina in 2005. 10 years later parents are outraged by plans to rebuild the school over a former toxic site.

parent don't want the school to go to school where arsenic will pollute the ground below it. >> reporter: behind the footprint of the superdome two being remain. the site is up surrounded by a locked fence. >> now, controversy. already plans to rebuild the school here, on what tests the past three years reveal is toxic soil. frustrating. >> it was built in 1942 on land that until the 1930s, had been used as a giant landfill, known as the silver city dump. >> tests from firms hired by school officials found there are dangerous levels of arsenic and ink.

that is where the samples were taken. louisiana representative, a booker t graduate was stunned to learn the recovery oversees most schools was planning to rebuild the school after removing some soil. >> it should be a crime to put schools there, when we know the toxic matters are there. >> reporter: there's no law on building schools on a land fix or known toxic site. toxins at the school site, including lead, for example, were found 24 times higher than e.p.a. standards for playgrounds. the school district plans to remove the top three feet of contaminated soil. then install a barrier and lay

down 6 feet of clean soil. >> this is not a risk elimination plan, it's risk reduction plan. >> they are familiar with soil, and the school distribute's plan will eliminate rivals. >> i have 14 grandchildren. they have no reservations tending at school. the site for the school is identified, rebuilding at the old location is maintaining the school's legacy, serving as a popular meeting space for new orleans's black community in the '60s. >> if you move it, they'll loss the identity. opponents say there'll be 12 feet of contaminated soil in the ground. new orleans is blow sea level and the lapped is shifting. >> it's a matter of time before

the man made barrier of new soil placed on toxic soil will fail. >> al jazeera reached out to the school district asking why it chose to rebuild. emails and calls were not returned. the state department of environmental quality responded by saying: jacob ward joined me from the crowds of booker t in new orleans. the law-makers bill would block schools being on sites where there's toxic waste underneath, is that likely to pass the legislature. >> well, there seems to be overwhelming support on a state level. the bill was introduced a couple of weeks ago, passed in the senate.

now at this point again. the state lawmakers seem to be supporting this. there's at least one site identified that's not on contaminated land. why is there resistance to rebuilding the school on another site. that's the question to ask the superintendent of schools. as you heard it's our legacy, an important place in the community, and during the david segregation, it was one of the few places for african-american parent to come and have conferences. the feeling is let's rebuild on the site. let's keep the legacy here. but the argument is it could be moved elsewhere. orleans. >> fresh food and air collide in america's biggest city. after the break i'll tell you

why some new york residents are victims of environmental racism.

right now... >> al jazeera america some people call environmental injustice - others say it amounts to environmental racism. whatever you call it, low income minority communities are waging

fights over the air they breath are saying they are subjected to more pollute ants in their neighbourhoods than white residents in wealthy parts of town, one of the latest battles is in new york city. activists are giving a gear to the idea of moving a business into their neighbourhood, saying not in my backyard. mary snow has the report. >> the greatest benefit of buying direct to farmers is control. >> online direct touts fresh food it delivers to home. the new york grocer moves its operations some applaud gen pits. actor pressure. >> it's like the next assault or another assault on this neighbourhood. johnson has led protest and a legal bottle to block fresh bronx.

the company estimates there'll be more than 600 truck tricks per day in and out of its new hub. the way johnson sees it, it will worsen bad air quality in a poor neighbourhood surrounded by highways, industries and assault, and scenes like this are not uncommon. this woman is tested for asthma, which has the highest rates in the states. fresh direct prevailed on legal challenges and is building new headquarters. the state and city providing more than 100 in incentives not to leave new york. jobs are staying put, more will be added in the bron g. >> new york city would have lost almost 300,000. currently out of those 300,000,

over 600 of those are people from the bronx. bringing? >> only communities that have to balance jobs with our health. we know we can't breath, we can't work. >> fresh direct declined a request for an interview. in a statement said that trucks would represent tiny fraction of the traffic that is here, and it says it's developing solutions. >> critics. >> doctors are monitoring the health effects of air pollution in the bronx and disparities in the air that you breathe. >> our research shows if you live near a truck route you have a higher risk of developing asthma than if you live in a bronx. >> reporter: it's not just new

york, air quality was studied from coast to coast, finding airways not equal. it looked at nitrogen dioxide, industrial sites, and found nitrogen dioxide concentrations are 38 prz higher. >> it is an environmental justice issue, the fact that on average, people who are on low income breathe more in even today is an environmental justice issue, and it's why the doctor, an activist is not enough to help the asthma patients. he sees businesses like fresh direct as a dipping point. >> there's a -- tipping point. there's a perception that the communities will not fight back. what south bronx says

. it came as a surprise. stand. >> it came to court. they are trying to make the argument that it is not benefitting the public. the fight is taking place, many were there. is there a way to quantify any improving air quality is going to do to residents. >> we talked to researchers at the university of minnesota, and they estimate that there would disease. >> wow. >> if there was air quality among whites and minorities. >> this is not the thing that will cause air equality, because there. >> exactly. >> thank you mary snow.

that is the show, thank you for joining us, have a great weekend. desperate journeys, more than 4,000 people regulation cued from the mediterranean in just 24 hours. >> hello and welcome to al jazeera, i'm are sammy zadan in doha. >> i'm not perfect nobody's perfect but we do a good job together i'm sure. >> sepp