Like I posted in your Levin thread today.
The bottom line hasn’t changed since 911, since Pearl Harbor or before. If the US is attacked, Americans should respond accordingly and with the proper military action. Our elected officials have a duty as prescribed in the Constitution to protect and defend the people from all enemies.
However, the federal government should NOT make nation building mandatory. As always, the notion of spreading real democracy to the Islamic world remains a fallacy.
Very interesting article by McCarthy that goes in a hundred directions. I agree with the FReeper who pointed out that promoting representative government in the world is in fact in our national interest. The reason is that it promotes commerce, order, and civilization, and reduces terrorism and other weird acts by that means, pace Mr. McCarthy, and promotes the wealth and prosperity of Americans.
It was nation-building that de-fanged Japan and Germany; and in the case of Japan, fundamentally helped develop their culture. Nation-building created an ally (Japan, at least so far) and a more-or-less ally (Germany). The problem is the incredible cost.
So, where we can't afford to build them up, I guess we need to make sure to grind 'em down real good. Can we make a national policy out of that?