that's a different animal than saying we started it.
Maybe you could elaborate on that a bit for me, as this is exactly what it's been used to say around here...
but that is the crux of much of these arguments - anything short of a long term decades long engagement is the equivalent to cutting and run - another idea embedded into the American psyche.
I disagree. Americans have no problem with cutting and running. I will agree with the idea that Nation Building is not strategically advantageous. Hunt and kill is.
Either strategy can become very time consuming and labor intensive. The difference is one is wasteful and unproductive, and the other is the essence of security.
My question is - at what point does our support for a never ending engagement actually force change? When our country's credit rating is shot because of debt? When a loaf of bread is $7 or a gallon of gas is $15? When we can't build a bridge or pave a road? When we shutter police stations, schools and VA hospitals? At what level of pain do we have to suffer before Americans with your perspective say "enough - we're leaving and getting out of this craziness".
The root of the problems that you are referring to has to do with the culture of endless spending in Washington. It doesn't matter if we bring all our military actions to an end, the politicians will find other things to do with that money. They sure as hell won't just be giving it back to us. Defense Spending needs to be addressed. There is no question about that. There is a lot of waste involved. I'm happy to say that I have a job now where I examine efficiency in military operations in order to cut out waste. It's nice to be a part of the solution rather than the problem.
The priority given to the Federal Government is to keep Americans safe. That's one of the reasons we switched from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution. We The People demanded security. We even permitted the collection of taxes specifically for that reason. In a perfect world, Defense Spending wouldn't be 20% of our Federal Budget, it would be almost 100% of our Federal Budget (the founders saw some value in spending on the arts and sciences as well). Now, that Federal Budget would be a mere fraction of what it is today, but the point is, our Constitution is clear that the purpose of taxation is for the security of the Nation.
Ceasing all Military action would not enhance our security one bit, nor would it fix the culture of spending in Washington.
Because I believe we can both say that what we are doing is unsustainable yet the middle east issue is never ending.
Yes, I can agree that the culture of spending in Washington is unsustainable and that threats to a free society are never ending.
For that matter our world dominance is never ending. Its an ongoing maintenance program costing hundreds of billions if not a trillion+ yearly.
Defense spending needs to be addressed. Yes.
National Defense and infrastructure are the real only reasons any spending should be happening at all, though. Never compromise on security.
How does that get resolved before our country is tanked and China becomes the worlds newest (and perhaps only) superpower?
Reign in Washinton, unleash America.
