Not long ago, I offhandedly referred to myself as an “isolationist.” That was incorrect. I am a “non-interventionist.” That means I think we should stay out of the internal affairs of other countries.
The subject keeps coming to mind as I see politicians discussing Pres. Obama’s response — or lack thereof — to recent events in the Middle East and North Africa. It seems he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. What do these people expect him to do? Anything he says or does can affect what’s going on, as well as influence world opinion of the US. We don’t need new enemies or increased hatred. We don’t need to polish the perception of the US as self-appointed world policeman. We want, as some have said, to be on the right side of history, but the history of today’s events has yet to be written.
America’s knee-jerk reaction usually is to support a people trying to overthrow a dictator (dictator being defined by us, of course). But I don’t think it’s our place to take sides in another country’s internal affairs, no matter how much we might want to. Nor is it our right to decide what is a proper form of governance in another country. American democracy is not necessarily what’s best for other countries, and it’s certainly not our place to try to impose it on other countries (eg, Iraq and Afghanistan).
We should have bombed them already! Bush showed real leadership. When the Saudis attacked us, he invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. Why hasn’t Obama invaded any countries yet? Damn liberal! 🙂
Patience. He’s just trying to decide which third world, non-nuclear, non-threatening country most deserves to see American democracy in action. 😉
Let’s bomb them with pizza and fried chicken. I’m thinking they would appreciate it, and the casualties won’t show up for years.
Now that’s what I call “thinking outside the box.” While we’re at it, we could use the old “hot sauce on the pacifier” trick by dumping bacon grease on everything we don’t want them to touch! 😀
We could drop water balloons on them. That’d show ’em.
Wise advice. Much more wise than was demonstrated by the talking heads on this Sunday’s political TV shows.
Talking heads are just that. Notice they are never referred to as thinking heads.
Good points. I’d rather be hated, and you know we will be, for NOT killing lots of people, and NOT wasting tons of taxpayer money, than the other way around!
Sad, isn’t it, that a nation would be hated for NOT killing people.