There is in my mind an issue that our generation must address, one that is more important than global warming or universal healthcare. Foreign policy is at the forefront of my concern for modern government, I like the leaders of America from its founding to the conclusion of World War II think that with our great power comes a great responsibility not to police the world or mold it according to our own design but to regulate and stimulate from afar. That may sound confusing and I would like to clarify my stance, first by explaining the historic role of America in the world and second by discussing the things that have lead to a vastly expanding foreign policy.
The first and most important reason I believe that we should shift our policy back to isolationism is the simple fact that from 1776 until 1944 America as a nation was set in staunch isolationism this is the reason we did not join World War II at its onset but only after A direct attack on our soil, In 1812 a war started for the unlawful press gang of men from American ships into a war that was not our own, there is a pattern in almost every engagement America takes part in and it is almost always defensive in posture up to the onset of the Korean War at which point we abandoned the proven formula to become world police. This need to be involved in every facet of the world has led only to hatred from outsiders and the needless deaths of our soldiers fighting for people that generally do not appreciate or want our help or occupation.
I guess my major hang up on our foreign policy is that we have poverty, homeless and crime inside our own borders, why do we overlook those in need in our own country and stick our nose in the business of other countries. I can tell you where and why it all began how afraid of communism we became in the 70's during the red scare we had two options, strengthen abroad which we did or fortify at home which we were made to feel like we did, but the simple fact is that the government has spent and continues to spend billions on conflicts to support governments that will embrace us, this is an erroneous action that has already backfired more than once. I can point to Afghanistan, Korea, and even the communist party in power in China as governments we have financially supported and to what end, can we rely on any of these countries if we were to need the aide? I think not.
I think we should return to a very basic foreign policy, a policy reminiscent of the stance taken by those that have prospered before us. Isolationism does not mean we cannot lend a hand to those in need, but it does mean we will be more responsible with our military and more responsible to accept the way other peoples in the world may choose to govern.
