Okay. I’ll admit it. I’m a flip-flopper. Whenever I hear the statement, “We cannot be the world’s policeman!” I have always nodded in spontaneous, unconditioned agreement. That is, until I got into a discussion with my brother last week.
He blames the United States for 9/11. When I asked how he came to that conclusion, he said that the Arabs hate us because we support Israel.
“But shouldn’t we support our friends?” I asked. He said that Israel is going to be the cause of World War III! When I asked “How?” he said that they are going to attack Iran over their nuclear program, and that would drag all the other Arab nations into it. And then America would be forced to support Israel, which would unleash China and Russia.
Regardless of the strength (or weakness) of his logic, it made me think about our role in the world. At the end of World War I, the United States assumed a staunch “isolationist” role in the world. We drew down our military, cut our defense spending, and basically said we would not go to war unless attacked.
In September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland, a friend to the United States, and we watched. Emboldened by his uncontested success, over the next six months, Hitler crushed Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and France. All of those nations were friendly to America, but we stood by and did nothing to help them.
By the time the United States entered the war in late 1941, it became a daunting task to retake mainland Europe, and defeat Hitler and Mussolini, while fighting Japan in the Pacific. I submit that our reticence to protect our friends until we were attacked led to the most costly war in American history in terms of money and lives.
Until my sibling debate, I often wondered about the wisdom of keeping a military presence in over 150 countries throughout the world, including Japan, Germany, and Australia, when there seems to be little probability of war breaking out in those areas. “Let’s bring the troops home, and save some money.”
Then I realized that the time between WWI and WWII was about 20 years. Yet it has been 65 years since the end of WWII. I pondered, “Why have we not had World War III yet?”
I posit that the presence of our military power in widespread parts of the globe has served as a deterrent.
Because of our dispersion, a United States military force can be in any part of the globe within four hours. And our national willingness and commitment to defend our friends and allies is so well-recognized that no one to this point has tested our resolve and ability.
Should we be the world’s police force? Just as a city needs a police force to protect good people from bad people, our world needs the same protection.
The United Nations was supposed to fill that role, but they are functionally impotent.
Of all the nations on earth, the United States has the strongest military and financial ability to protect the weak. We never go to war to subjugate people, but to liberate them.
At this time in world history, the United States has the capability to protect the world from despots. It should be our mission so to do.
J.D. Holmes
Fayetteville, Ga.
