...Entangling Alliances With None

It’s hard to watch parts of Africa and the Middle East burn itself near to the ground and not think about intervening in some way.  Foreign intervention seems to be thought of as a right and a necessity by all democratic countries. 

It’s hard not to argue in some cases.  I still remember Somalia and Rwanda and I still sometimes think “we have a responsibility to send troops in there and take care of business”.  When you watch people suffer atrocities at the hands of a ruling class or power, you can’t help but think we should help out with the use of military power.  We can intervene, and help those who are oppressed and defeat those that would harm others.  It is a hard point for me to argue.  It’s hard to not call on us to police the world.

Over the years there have been many who have called for us and especially the USA to stand down, and carry on a non-interventionist foreign policy.  It’s alright to voice opinions, but sending in troops or slapping on sanctions will often make matters worse down the road.

I believe that one of the major job descriptions for federal government is to keep its people safe and free.  There are many who will argue, that an aggressive foreign policy will decrease the safety of citizens domestically.  There are many instances where we can see that this is true.  Intervention, by the USA, in the Middle East over the last 50 years has resulted in numerous problems.

Numerous military operations in the Middle East area were given as one of the major reasons for 9/11.  The USA has had a military presence in the Middle East for over 50 years.  The result is that their military personnel are put in harms way and their citizens at home are less safe. 

It’s becoming accepted that the constant foreign intervention by the USA in the Middle East is giving rise to nationalism and more importantly radicalism abroad.  This gives the incentives needed to recruit citizens who are willing to commit acts of terror.  This doesn’t make people at home any safer.

I am starting to believe that military power is appropriate only if our safety and liberty has been threatened directly by another county.  Pre-emptive operations are not a sufficient means to secure safety.  I no longer question if we should be in Afghanistan.  I stand by the USA for what they endured with the attacks of September 11^th, but we were not attacked.  Therefore, we should not be sending our troops into harms way for a fight that doesn’t involve our safety.  If anything, we are less safe now.

It’s not cowardice to act in ways that make us safer.  Empathy must be a consideration when planning foreign involvement.  The notion; “what would our citizens say or do if another country did this to us?” is important to consider.  I loved Ron Paul’s answers during the GOP nomination debates; “What would we say if China was over here in our hemisphere doing what we do in the East?  We need to look at what we would do if someone was doing it to us.” 

I know as I learn more about this area I will have more to say and hopefully more constructive comments.