The Use of Force

[Radio Frequency X]

Here is my question:

Does the United States government have the right to use for in order to create greater stability, to spread democracy, or to take out potencial threats to US security? If so, how is this right justified? If not, what should response to international terrorism be?

 

[spacemonkey]

I would have to say no. If we minded our own buisness we would eliminate ourselves as potential targets of "international terrorists".

 

[dbakerman76]

I would have to say no. If we minded our own buisness we would eliminate ourselves as potential targets of "international terrorists".

My sentiments exactly. I am opposed to all US intervention in foreign affairs. Our only dealings with other countries should be trade (which should be totally free of all tariffs).

 

[Wandered Off]

I'm generally opposed to foreign interventalism too, but I'm not sure that minding our own business would somehow remove us from the target list of fanatical terrorists.

 

[spacemonkey]

I'm generally opposed to foreign interventalism too, but I'm not sure that minding our own business would somehow remove us from the target list of fanatical terrorists.

Why do you think terrorists target us then, if not for our foriegn policy?

 

[Wandered Off]

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I think there is a relatively small but rapidly growing group of religious fanatics who want to impose their religion on the rest of the world in a 'convert or die' fashion irrespective of any policies. Nutjobs like these have been easy to ignore because they lack the resources to inflict all-out war, but technology is on pace to reduce that barrier. Am I overdramatizing the situation? Always a possibility...

 

[ALifetimeToWaitFor....]

Its is our foreign policy, but its a similar situation as America from the 1960s back. Young men and women were brought up to hate blacks in the arab world they are brought up the same way. It will take at least a generation for that hate to discenigrate, but that will take a voice from the area and it will have to happen slowly. We are in too deep to simply stop, but we can make changes now that will have a great impact later.

Everyone has the right to self defense. However you can't just go kill your neighbor because hes got a gun and you think hes going to kill you.

 

[GloriaPatri]

The only time we should ever use force is in defense.

 

[Radio Frequency X]

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I think there is a relatively small but rapidly growing group of religious fanatics who want to impose their religion on the rest of the world in a 'convert or die' fashion irrespective of any policies. Nutjobs like these have been easy to ignore because they lack the resources to inflict all-out war, but technology is on pace to reduce that barrier. Am I overdramatizing the situation? Always a possibility...

I don't think you are overdramatizing it at all. I'm afraid that doing nothing, is itself doing something - and what it is doing is allowing religious extremists to increase their tyranny at the expense of liberty. I don't believe that we can survive as isolationists, even though, ideally, I wish we could. But I don't have my mind made up on the issue yet.