U.S. Exceptionalism vs. U.S. Imperialism.

The libertarian branch of the Conservative movement will claim that one of the great problems with the U.S. is that we as a nation spend too much time in the business of other countries. Is U.S. history steeped in a long list of imperial actions? If you are already on the Ron Paul side of things then your mind is made up; but, if you are on the fence, I would like to give you an argument that may even make you proud of your country's military history.

When we look at countries that have had real empires their histories are quite mixed. France's imperial history is pretty grim. In French Indo-China there were direct attacks on religion, such as messages on Buddhist Statues calling the statues idols. In Algeria, when an election turned out Pro-Islamic, the French took it upon themselves to take Algeria over for a second time and force the country into compliance. Algeria still has a tainted view of this time period, with claims of real torture (not water boarding, much worse) and religious restrictions. The British took a bit of a different strategy in their empire in the last 80 years by forcefully preventing Jews from moving to Trans-Jordan. The British often tried to do the right thing as their empire collapsed around them but many of their former colonies have been left in shambles, like Nigeria and Zimbabwe, and these countries are still in the British Commonwealth.

Now, let's look at those situations where the U.S. has occupied a country. Japan is one country that we occupied by force after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While we occupied Japan what did the U.S. do? We assisted in establishing an electoral system which allowed for all manner of popular movements, including a Communist party. In the case of religion, how is the U.S. track record? Well, how has Zen Buddhism done in the world over the last 80 years? Thousands of of U.S. pilgrims go to Japan from the U.S. every year. Japanese writers are now part of the U.S. philosophical library from Suzuki Roshi to Sensei Osuka, America has been just as much been influenced by Japan as the other way around. While trade has been strong and mutually positive between our two countries, Japan is most certainly not a lap dog to the U.S. Japan has been an independent country on foreign affairs and trade, from differences on the Iraq War to having some trade with North Korea. Japan is independent despite American military bases dotted around the country.

The detrimental U.S. presence?

Where there has been a long standing U.S. presence, there has been a stability and advancement in personal liberty. Germany, Japan, Italy, South Korea and the Philippines have all seen stability in that war has for the greater part, not been waged on or by these countries. In the cases of Italy and the Philippines, democracy is relatively new but both of these countries are now part of the fellowship of Democratic Republics. Critics of the U.S. foreign policy often focus on the American support of Marcos, who was a dictator in the Philippines. What the critics refuse to realize is that the popular movement that brought Marcos down, was based in the continental U.S., and once Marcos was deposed, the U.S. took an active role in supporting the new Democratic leader Corazon Aquino. Today, the Philippines still struggles but citizens of the Southeast Asian country have a greater voice in their own destiny than many other countries in the region.

Germany has moved in a very independent direction on nearly all major issues, while still being a major base for many different U.S. military operations. Most of the countries where U.S. troops have long standing bases are not only stable governmentally but economically. Do these countries trade with the U.S? Sure, but in most cases we are not the largest trading partner. So where is the empire?

Benevolently Leaving?

Let's look at some countries where the U.S. had a military presence but left. Vietnam is one country that many say we were right to leave. So how are things in Vietnam today? It has one of the most oppressive regimes in Asia. Up until 2003 nearly half the population lived below the poverty line. The last 30 years in Vietnam, especially since the U.S. military presence ended, has been one of misery, poverty and oppression. Only in the last four or five years has Vietnam begun to recover from it's third world pit. Much of the growth of Vietnam's economy over the last few years has come with trade and involvement with the west, Asian countries and the U.S.

In the case of Lebanon, our leaving in the 1980's, has led to perpetual instability and civil war. Lebanon has an unstable democracy that it is constantly threatened by Hezbollah, an Islamic extremist party. This Middle Eastern country has so much potential but has only recently been able to move in great positive strides. The U.S. leaving did not stabilize the country; on the contrary, Lebanon's instability was more likely prolonged by the U.S. departure. The future of this country is certainly unsure because the only force standing in the way of an Islamic extreme civil war is the U.N. troop contingent.

Somalia had a U.S. peace keeping force in the 90's. How have things gone in Somalia sine the U.S. forces departed? Today, the horn of Africa country is on of the most unstable countries in the world. Somalia is a danger to all of it's neighbors; it is a breeding ground for terrorism, piracy, rape, kidnapping and tribal war.

When the U.S. leaves a country after the elites in D.C. have been convinced to do so, these countries have on average a decade or better of war, poverty and desperation. During the unstable decade trade is stunted and rights are halted. Should we have remained in each of these countries? I don't know, but be assured that nobody really benefits when the U.S. military goes home.

Were the Founding Fathers opposed to U.S. foreign intervention or expansion?

"I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

This quote from Jefferson could easily be argued to pertain to the U.S. obligation to spread freedom throughout the world. Many believe that World War I, II, Korea, Vietnam and many others, are cases in which the United States was fighting to support freedom loving people abroad. When the first few presidents attacked the Barbary Coast, in several battles, Captain William Eaton, an important military leader of the time, threatened to capture Tripoli and install the brother of Tripoli's pasha on the throne, forcing a treaty (Libya of today). Adams' undeclared war against France and the creation of the first U.S.Navy, showed the world that the United States would most certainly involve herself in foreign affairs when needed.

The founding Fathers were not opposed to nation building. Liberia was originally proposed by Jefferson and was an actual short lived U.S. colony. This was a case of attempting to deal with disaffected slaves. The history of Liberia is certainly not ideal but much of the darkest days of the African state were when the the U.S. had given sovereignty to the people of Liberia. The point of bringing this country up is that the early days of the country were certainly not, as the libertarians might say, free of U.S. expansion over seas.

Iraq.

It is widely believed that the U.S. had no business in Iraq at all. Let me put a different twist on Iraq if I may. The first Gulf War or Operation Dessert Storm was a war about a new possible world power that could have been even more dangerous than the Soviet Union. If Saddam's Iraq had been successful in what they had intended, then one dictator would have had control over one third of the world's oil and control over the most important of the Muslim Holy Sights. Why is this important? Because Saddam could have raised a war machine bigger than anything Hitler could have imagined and, armed with Islamic Fundamentalism, he would have been the greatest threat the world had ever seen.

When Baghdad surrendered to us in the end of the first war, there were surrender agreements and treaties that stopped the war. Saddam obeyed few of these. When, like the Barbary Pirates, treaties and agreements are ignored, then the battles should commence again. To ensure that such a threat not reemerge then sometimes the threat must be crushed. In Jefferson's deceleration of hostility towards tyranny, we are admonished to see that other countries are in fact free. The years that the U.S. military has spent in Iraq is not wasted if in the end the Iraqis are free.

American Exceptionalism.

When one criticizes the U.S. foreign involvement then one ignores the moral imperative that we as freedom loving people have and the responsibility to share it. The Founding Fathers understood this because they had taken the initiative to build the great experiment known as the United States. The greatness of America is that we will fight for the freedom of others. Our involvement in the world has been for the advancement of freedom at home and abroad. We have spread Capitalism which leads to freedom, by way of trade and stability.

Our history has not always been perfect but we have always been the greatest force for good on earth. I would pray that we never stop fighting for the rights of those all over the world. If there are some who don't always appreciate our sacrifices, that is fine. As long as there are still those who long for freedom, I pray that there will always be a strong America to fight with them.

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