The answer is sometimes, and that is sad. This country was founded through violent revolution against a tyrannical government. We created the most beautiful founding documents that any country ever has in the Declaration and our Constitution. The core of American exceptionalism lies in the idea that the people would always be secure in their personal liberty and that government would not be allowed impose its will on them. That is the single boldest concept for government that has ever made it into reality. We fought to gain those freedoms we deemed the universal property of men, and we made sure that if our government ever became too oppressive the people knew they had the right and the tools to take it down. There is one simple moral concept that could create peace on Earth, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This is not a religious idea, although it is woven into many major religions. At the most basic level, a moral life requires only that you live without harming others in the process. It also creates a dilemma when some violate the rule and harm innocents out of sickness or for their own gain. On the individual level, this is something that should be taken care of at the most local level possible. If your neighbor beats his wife, stop him. If a mugger steals a purse, stop him. But when this oppression is perpetrated by the state, how can that be countered? Think about an American Revolution in the modern day; could the citizenry overcome our military? Of course not. So one of two things needs to happen for a revolution to succeed now, either the military turns and joins the revolution, or an outside force intervenes. The question facing America is whether we have any legitimate, compelling interest in countering tyranny outside our own shores. I believe we do and always will, that by virtue of the fact that we can oppose evil, we are bound to in words and deeds. I am hardly alone in that. John F. Kennedy Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.... In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it. Ronald Reagan A people free to choose will always choose peace. Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves. Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing. The Soviet Union is an Evil Empire, and Soviet communism is the focus of evil in the modern world” George W. Bush (imagine Reagan's voice as you read this) We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: the moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: The United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you. Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country. The spirit of those words is distilled to a simple Latin phrase that is the motto of US Special Forces "De Oppresso Liber" To liberate from oppression. That captures the idea that we do not live in isolation. We cannot build a wall around America and ignore what happens on the other side. Even so, we are not bound to respond every time evil flourishes, we could not. But to quote Reagan again: Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong. The number one mission of our military is to deter aggression. Ideally it would never be used and would simply serve as the implied threat to breaches of common decency. But that has not been the case in human history. We are a flawed species and run the gamut from peaceful to sociopathic. Consequently the use of force must occasionally set an example or in some cases fight to save freedom and liberty such as WWII. Judicious and effective use of force can serve to deter bad actors as they do not wish to join the ranks of those who have felt rough justice. It can serve pour encourager les autres. More from George W. Bush: I sent American troops to Iraq to make its people free, not to make them American. Iraqis will write their own history and find their own way. It can also embolden those living under oppression to throw off their own shackles. Reagan's continued vocal and believable support inspired many who lived under the iron boot of the Soviet Union's communist totalitarianism. The Solidarity movement in Poland was one of the first to break free and its leader Lech Walesa knows who he wants to thank. When talking about Ronald Reagan, I have to be personal. We in...
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Posted
Jan 29 2011, 04:29 AM
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BLACKFIVE