FACEBOOK READERS: Please go to my blog site (http://ajbulava.blogspot.com) and sign up to be a follower. You will receive an email in your inbox when I update. Thanks!
After farming out a few topics for today's posts I decided on a derivative of one of those ideas. The situation in Egypt this week is enough to give the U.S. pause to consider the way we handle our foreign policy. Why do we support a dictator like Mubarak in Egypt and other parts of the world? Why do we choose the lesser of two evils? What should be the principles behind our foreign policy?
Support of Classical Liberal & Republican Democratic Ideals
The U.S. promise support and defend any nation that shows, by its actions, to be a committed to the ideas of classical liberalism that protects the natural rights of humans. Also countries that are truly republican governments with democratic ideals. Republican governments are those with a charter that acts as fundamental and higher law. It also means that the country has a form of representative government with democratic principles where they people's vote counts. Any country does not support those ideals by repressing the natural rights of the individuals or of groups will not be supported by the United States in anyway, shape or form. All ambassadors and embassies will be closed in such nations, available to be reopened when positive changes have been made. We will not actively undermine or bring down these regimes but will not openly support them either. It time to stop supporting the lesser of two evils.
Avoid Entangling Alliances
The U.S. has stood the test of time as being a lone wolf in the world for the vast majority of its history. But since the end of World War II we have been a large member in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). This has brought us close to war with Soviet Russia several times. The policy of an attack on one is an attack on all is not a good principle for any country to follow and is dangerous to American sovereignty; much like the Americans worried about the ideal of collective security in the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. If a country that fits the country above is invaded or threatened by its neighbors we will stand with that nation and help defend it.
Foreign Monetary Aide
I know am not the only American citizen that gets pissed off when we spend billions of dollars on helping other nations. Money that is given to the government from American taxpayer should be used to protect, defend and assist Americans, not help prop out dictators halfway across the world. I would insist on eliminating all monetary foreign aide given to any nation. This would also help bring down our deficit, but eliminating billions from the federal budget every year. The only money that should be given to the department of state is to support our ambassadors and embassies, a limited staff for each.
Military Reductions
The cold war is over. Japan is no longer a threat. North and South Korea are still at each other throats despite our military presence in the region. Germany is reunited. Why do we have so many military bases around the world? Its time to pull our military back and remove them from places where they are no longer needed. It's time to draw down the professional military machine. The navy should patrol our waters from incursions of other countries and protect our commercial vessels around the world. The Air Force can protect our friendly skies.
I will end this article with my view on the situation in Egypt. Honestly I have not followed the situation as closely as some. I am scanning the headlines mostly. What worries me most about this popular uprising is the other groups that maybe co-opting the movement for their own benefit. Chief among them, the Muslim Brotherhood. The group wants to establish a single Islamic caliphate of all Arab countries, with the basis on sharia law. This could be dangerous to the Christians and other people in the region who are not Muslims. It would also be very dangerous of Israel, one of the true liberal republican democracies in the middle east. If these uprisings succeed in bring republican democratic values along with the protection of natural rights, then this could be a very good thing.
I am sure their are other topics and aspects of foreign policy that I have forgotten. If you feel I have left something out please let me know. Other than that if their are no questions, comments or concerns? Class dismissed.
No comments:
Post a Comment