Good question...it's called appeasement. Feeding the beast. Unless you have a radical new device that generates energy from nothing, the Saudis sit on a grotesque amount of the world's energy supply..."He who controls the spice, controls the universe...".
"And stationing troops in countries where they're not welcome is what?"
Golly gee Beav, let's tuck tail and run home. It's called protecting our interests...tell me what our alternatives are, I'm all ears. It was western research, development, and money that built those refineries, explored and discovered all that oil, invented new methods of withdrawal, and we just handed it over without a fight to an elite few pirates in dirty nightshirts.
"And threatening other countries with military invasion if they don't capitulate to our demands it what?"
What the hell do you call 9/11 if not a military invasion to cause us to capitulate to their demands: submission to radical Islam, expulsion from the middle east which would still be dealing in camels, textiles, and hashish if not for western technology and invention, and the abandonment of Israel to the wolves. What would you call that? I know what I'd call it...
"And dropping bombs on civilians in other countries as punishment for the deeds of their governments is what?"
Name an instance where we targeted a civilian populace to punish a government....(everybody get ready for more WW2 rehashing...) I, and I'm sure several others, anxiously await your response...
It's also called cutting our own throats.
It's called protecting our interests...
Whose interests? Private industry?
...tell me what our alternatives are, I'm all ears.
Alternatives to what?
It was western research, development, and money that built those refineries, explored and discovered all that oil, invented new methods of withdrawal, and we just handed it over...
The federal government is not the private security firm of overseas private industry. The risks are those of the individuals willing to take the risks. The taxpayers' ought not be liable.
No taxpayers money should have been spent to do the things you listed (even though we both know it was).
What the hell do you call 9/11...
The inevitable result of stupidity, negligence, and incompetence on the part of politicians.
...expulsion from the middle east which would still be dealing in camels, textiles, and hashish if not for western technology and invention...
That's great and everything. But, private industry is capable of marketing goods and services overseas without interference from the federal government.
Name an instance where we targeted a civilian populace to punish a government...
Iraq, Afghanistan, Lyba, and Sudan are countries in which civilians have died as a result of US bombing. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced in Afghanistan as a result of our bombing. Reporters on the scene to observe the aftermath report of body parts all over the place including those of children. Wether or not we targetted civilians is irrelevant. Drunk drivers do not mean to kill anyone but when they do the act is not dismissed as collateral damage simply because it was unintentional.