One of the legitimate functions of government is defending the property of its citizens. There is no excuse for not protecting it from militarily weak states like the tribes with flags Saudis. At the very least our government should allow those who lose property in such incidents to raise mercenary forces.
Government defending proprety is one matter if it is within our national borders, even protecting our shipping is legit. but what about say the Boxer Rebellion? Were the Chinese nationals wrong to be upset by their country being carved up by Europeans? Do individuals not take risk when they buy land under another country's jurisdiction? or does being an American trump foreign sovernty? Does that mean the US can overthrow foreign goverments say to protect the holdings of say Chicita Banana? If so are we then no different than Britain of old sending troops and spending public tax dollars for the benift of corporations like the Hudsan Bay or East Indie? If we are the same then why not admit that we are an Empire?
"There is no excuse for not protecting it from militarily weak states" Would not this rule of thumb only lead to WMD proliferation? What country would want to be treated like Serbia or Iraq? N.Korea would then seem to be the model for weaker states. Then intervention means greater destabilization not more security. Unless of course the whole world is nuclear armed then I guess we all might not be so quick to strike. Then we could extrapolate the 2nd Amendment supporters claim globally that a well armed society is a polite society.