Posted on 03/07/2007 12:54:18 PM PST by Tolik
America is the reluctant sheriff of a wild world that sometimes seems mired in wrongdoing. The UN has nothing to offer in the way of enforcing laws and dispensing justice, other than spouting pious oratory and initiating feeble missions that usually do more harm than good. NATO plays a limited role, as in Afghanistan, but tends to reflect the timidity (and cowardice) of Continental Europe. Britain and a few other nations such as Australia are willing to follow America's lead but are too weak to act on their own.
That leaves the U.S. to shoulder the responsibility. Otherwise — what? Is brute force to replace the rule of law in the world because there's no one to enforce it? I wish some of those who constantly criticize America's efforts ...would ask themselves this simple question: Would you really like to live in a world where the U.S. sits idly by and lets things happen?
Life in such a world would be like the bestial existence described in Thomas Hobbes' great work, Leviathan. If people "live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war, and such a war as is of every man against every man." In that lawless state there will be "continual fear and danger of violent death, and the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short."
In the 350 years since Hobbes wrote his book nothing essential has changed.<...snip...>
It's fortunate for the world that in areas in which international law doesn't operate and rogue states do as they please, America will sometimes agree to play Leviathan in order to establish law, at the risk of huge financial expense and its soldiers' lives...<...snip...>
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
It beats the hell out of global government.
"Otherwise — what?"
Let China and Russia handle it. Whatever happened to the millions of men in the Russian army we were so worried about in the cold war?
Lets give them something to do and have the citizens of those countries pay for something for a change.
I am not a supporter of the world government. What I do prefer is the sheriff we know (US) to enforce the law the way WE understand than have somebody else to fill in the vacuum. There can be no power vacuum. If we disengage, somebody (in the current situation multiple powers) will take the place.
Thank you for posting. I've been reading Paul Johnson for years and still appreciate his keen insights even as he tempers them with his religiousity. Not sharing his religiosity, I agree with him that "realpolitik" has its undeniable uses, but can't agree that the US always consults with its people, the way the founders meant. Sometimes we have to trust. Case in point: who supplied the false intel on Saddam's WMD??? I think we know- cui bono?- and I think most Freepers would approve, if only to secure our interests, not to mention our friends.
"I am not a supporter of the world government."
DITTO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The US Constitution gives the government 17 powers. Sheriff isn't one of them.
There is nobody else; without us much of the world would sink into barbarism. I just love Paul Johnson.
It'll sink into barbarism regardless. I'd rather not waste blood and treasure on them, and at any rate, Congress doesn't have the authority to spend money on failed nations.
If a certain country becomes uninhabitable then all American's and American companies are asked to leave and we let what happens happen.
If a certain country is only moderately anarchic then we take an eye for an eye approach: if they kill one of our citizens, we kill 10 of theirs. If they take over one of our companies, we takeover one of their bank accounts, etc.
No need to micromanage all our relationships with a bunch of wingnut dictators and squishy liberals. Just let everyone know who is boss and what will happen to them if they mess with our own.
From President Wilson and WWI onward the US as the policeman of the world (your sheriff metaphor), has been very costly!
The typically vidiot never heard of Hobbes. So much for 95% of the dumbed down herd. Then, from amongst the remaining 5%, you have a good many radical leftists, who cynically try to portray Western institutions as "Leviathan" in spite of their ongoinging diffusion into increasing anarchy. Dark days are coming ....
And a Christian.
Too late. The barbarians are already inside the gates.
It's not too late, yet, but it will be costly to eliminate the muzzie threat in the USA when the time comes (soon).
It should be OK, though. It'll be a matter of 'self-defence' - LEO-on-perp, citizen-on-militant, etc.
We, the militia, still have the firepower at the personal level in the USA. Places like France and England are disarmed, so they're screwed ............. FRegards
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Sometimes we have to trust. Case in point: who supplied the false intel on Saddam's WMD??"
The jury is still out on whether it was false--just because no WMD's were discovered YET doesn't mean there weren't any. There are quite a few reports on Saddam shipping them to Syria. Our Freeper jveritas has translated documents showing they were there in Iraq.
I certainly don't think the intelligence was fabricated, because multiple nations' intelligence agencies agreed Saddam had them. Our government could only fabricate our own nation's intelligence.
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