We happen to live in a time and place where our biggest enemy is muslim terrorists. But that is not the way it is going to stay. I wish it were otherwise, but it isn't. In the next 20 years, we could end up in a serious shooting war with someone, take your pick of whom. It most likely won't be overmatched arab men who may have guts and emotion but not enough brains to keep from getting slaughtered.
If there is anything, ever that we should have learned from the 20th century, it is that there is evil in the world, it has always been with us, and will always be with us. And we should also have learned that you cannot speak with evil, negotiate with evil, or change evil. Evil views things like negotiation and discourse as weakness.
In this world, we must be ON all the time and engaged. We must be projecting beyond our borders, both economically for us and our allies, but also militarily for our enemies.
I don't know what your military experience is, but I served for four years mostly on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. When we send our carriers to patrol the Pacific or show up off of Lebanon, they aren't just out there to cruise back and forth chewing up money just to show a gray haze colored steel wall and intimidate our foes, though that helps.
Our units are practicing all the time, deploying and training as close as they can to the way they are going to fight. We cannot keep those ships, men and equipment anchored in a harbor and send them out in a crisis to kick some ass. They have to be constantly trained and honed so that when the opportunity arises, we can and will respond effectively.
You inferred that we have been posturing and posing so that the world sees us as a paper tiger. I disagree. Before George Bush took our country into Afghanistan and Iraq, that may have been the case. Not anymore.
Which is why many of the Euro elites hate the United States. It showed them to be the hand-wringing, run-at-the-mouth beaureaucats that they are.
While I understand your position, I disagree with it in its entirety, and I say this as a staunch, patriotic conservative.
I “served” the military as a civilian contractor before and during Gulf War I. While I was never personally in danger, I have nothing but respect for those who do.
However ...
You give no justification for WHY we need to project far beyond our borders. You can maintain a blue water navy without doing what we do. Britain, Russia, China do, just to name a few. We don’t need in excess of 700 military installations across the world. I’d prefer to spend the bucks to put those installations on our northern and southern borders to keep out the evil ones who, yes, will always be with us.
The world still sees us as posturing - we can’t conclude the war in Afghanistan or Iraq because we’re prosecuting it like wimps. Mookie causing problems early in the war ? Bomb the crap out of him and his followers. Falluja ? We only needed one round if we would have finished the job the first time. Taliban resurgence ? Wipe them out in their bases in Pakistan and tell the Pakis to either clean up their mess or we’ll come in and do it for them. We did it to Iraq - why not Pakistan ? Why are we pussyfooting around with the Saudis when we know they’re exporting terrorists ?
Oil - it’s all about oil. We won’t drill at home so we need to “protect” those abroad who sell it to us. So we put up with the Saudis so we can buy their oil at grossly inflated prices and never change for the “protection”. We “invade” Iraq for the same reason. If we didn’t need foreign oil we wouldn’t need to be all over the globe with forces.
Think about it, and please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. Why were we attacked on 9/11 ? Because we symbolize the Conquerer to Islamic ignoramuses, so we are a target. We have no border security and no visa enforcement, so we don’t prosecute and deport those who are here illegally, so we’re an easy target. We’re weakening ourselves economically to do what - protect our “supply lines” for oil ?
Sorry, I don’t believe we should be making the world “safe for democracy”. Democracy is a crappy concept, as anyone who has studied German history in the 20th century will attest. Unless we are willing to be dictators, I don’t believe we should be rebuilding or giving aid to countries who are communistic, socialistic, or just plain totalitarian.
I for one am very tired of being my brother’s keeper. Whether it’s welfare, foreign aid or a bloated military due to being the world’s policeman, enough is enough.
Secure our borders, get rid of all illegals, stop the handouts and let’s get America back to worrying about the health and welfare of this country. Let private interests give aid to those who need it here or abroad - it’s not properly a function of government.