Isolationism: Tell me why it's a bad idea.

[DaveTN]

We aren’t the worlds Police Force and we don’t pretend to be. All of our actions have been self-serving.

I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; it’s just that we will all have an opinion on whether or not we should be involved.

The threat has changed. We are safe from attacks from any country on earth. Until the technology to render our ballistic submarines useless is developed no country is going to try to attack or occupy us. However, the threat from terrorists is very real. If we can tie their support to a country; we have someone to hold accountable. If not, we take them out in surgical attacks no matter what country they are in.

[Caster]

I've been saying this for years! Bring EVERY troop home. We could do with a mild case of martial law for a few months while we throw out ALL non citizens. Then seal the border while our wounds heal. If there's a threat to our national security, there are options without sending in troops. We train insanely devious groups of elite men from Seals to CIA. Option one, sneak in and wipe out the leadership. If that won't work, we do happen to have the worlds most powerful Navy. That Navy can cripple just about anyone, anywhere. I'm a HUGE fan of these drones we are using now. If a country gives us crap and threatens our borders, send a couple thousand of them to swarm them like a hoard of locusts. All the while, mothers in the states can rest assured their sons and daughters aren't going to be killed by a stupid IED.

I'm a staunch supporter of Israel. I won't argue or debate it with ANYONE. I will support them in prayer and with my voice till I die.

Having said that, the US should leave everyone to their own demise. The great fear of China? A standing army of over 200 million? Tough to impossible to defeat? Nope. Stop buying their crap. Never import another thing from china and they'll fold.

Isolationism? AMEN! Let's shut the door, and as we're pulling down the blinds, raise our right hand and extend our middle finger. Maybe, MAYBE! once we've stabilized our issues here, and wounds have treated and healed we can talk to others, but that's only talk. The damn hippies wanna free tibet and feed children in africa, but we have starving children HERE! We have government oppression HERE! Charity starts at home by God, you can't solve other peoples problems when you can't handle your own.

*steps off soap box*

[TMF]

.

...We need to learn from history, our enemies won't allow us to be isolationist...

...anytime we pull back from internationalism things crop up. I agree we unfavorably bear too much of the burden in costs and troop deployment. I don't believe the current structure of U.N. involvement & oversight nor our widespread deployment is necessary...

...We aren’t the worlds Police Force and we don’t pretend to be. All of our actions have been self-serving.

I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; it’s just that we will all have an opinion on whether or not we should be involved...

Yeah, all this. Just because we're involved in the world doesn't mean we're not pursuing our interests. If we weren't heavily involved in global politics then we wouldn't be doing many favors for ourself. Adopting "total isolationism" more or less paints us into a corner and limits so many options for us. Not to say that we couldn't do it, but our way of life would certainly change.

I've been saying this for years! Bring EVERY troop home. We could do with a mild case of martial law for a few months while we throw out ALL non citizens. Then seal the border while our wounds heal. If there's a threat to our national security, there are options without sending in troops. We train insanely devious groups of elite men from Seals to CIA. Option one, sneak in and wipe out the leadership. If that won't work, we do happen to have the worlds most powerful Navy. That Navy can cripple just about anyone, anywhere. I'm a HUGE fan of these drones we are using now. If a country gives us crap and threatens our borders, send a couple thousand of them to swarm them like a hoard of locusts. All the while, mothers in the states can rest assured their sons and daughters aren't going to be killed by a stupid IED.

I'm a staunch supporter of Israel. I won't argue or debate it with ANYONE. I will support them in prayer and with my voice till I die.

Having said that, the US should leave everyone to their own demise. The great fear of China? A standing army of over 200 million? Tough to impossible to defeat? Nope. Stop buying their crap. Never import another thing from china and they'll fold.

Isolationism? AMEN! Let's shut the door, and as we're pulling down the blinds, raise our right hand and extend our middle finger. Maybe, MAYBE! once we've stabilized our issues here, and wounds have treated and healed we can talk to others, but that's only talk. The damn hippies wanna free tibet and feed children in africa, but we have starving children HERE! We have government oppression HERE! Charity starts at home by God, you can't solve other peoples problems when you can't handle your own.

*steps off soap box*

I think it's as important to have people who feel the way you do as it is to have people who feel the exact opposite!

[Guest BungieCord]

...It would require having a strong military, and good border protection....

Switzerland has neither, so there goes that theory.

We got into Iraq because Saddam was a terrorism philanthropist. We stayed because American forces there are an effective stalking horse.

We got into Afghanistan because the Islamo-Fascists have proved that if we leave them to their own devices, they will plot and plan and practice to murder us in our sleep. Until we grow enough cajones to start profiling the young Arab men who enter the US, there is no other alternative.

When the technology exists for your enemies to rain down nukes on you from 7000 miles away, and when you're the nation that's at the top of the food chain, isolationism and survival are mutually exclusive prospects.

Edited October 17, 2011 by BungieCord