America's involvement in foreign wars

Many Americans take for granted that if something happens overseas that the U.S. is in some way responsible for causing or “failing” to prevent the event in question. It is not an accident that these arguments are almost always made by people that have never seen a crisis or conflict that they didn’t think the U.S. should take part in.

The only exception to Washington’s bomb, invade, and occupy consensus is Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.  He stands alone advocating a foreign policy which reflects the bitter, bloody lessons of recent years.

With ISIS and al Qaeda now having unified in their quest to kill Americans, there is little doubt that kidnapping more Americans will be at the top of the priority list.

If Obama’s policy of “containment” of the Islamic State prevails, then we have just witnessed the first battles in a long war that will last until a President with Ronald Reagan’s courage stands up and decides that we win and they lose.

Ron Paul was right. Congress must stop abdicating its war powers responsibility and force Obama to get congressional approval for any military action in Iraq.

It appears that Obama is pursuing a two part strategy that involves much more than air drops of humanitarian relief, but no one really knows how deeply into the Middle East's savage religious war Obama plans to take us.

The ongoing strife in Ukraine is a crime by Moscow and tragedy for Kiev.  It’s also a warning for America. Washington should turn Europe’s security back to Europe.

ISIL has grown out of past U.S. policy mistakes.  Washington cannot afford to be stampeded into another unnecessary and counterproductive war.

Rand Paul is right. If Obama wants to take us into a new war, with air attacks and drone strikes, or with ground troops, he has a constitutional duty to get Congress to authorize that war. If Congress does authorize a new war, at least the voters will know whom to be rid of this Nov.

A decade ago America foolishly blew up one of the most important countries in the Middle East.  The Middle East appears to be a tragedy permanently set on repeat.  That is a reason for America to stay out, not jump in.

Obama’s policy makers like President George W. Bush’s before them have failed to grasp the real lesson we should have learned from the rise of the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The enemy is not a nation state or a government, but the idea of Islamic supremacy deeply ingrained in Muslim culture.

The remarks Ted Cruz made about the President’s proposed actions in Iraq should be applied not just to Iraq, but to a host of other challenges facing America today. Cruz said, "Until the leaders of our government stop making bad choices, we will be left with bad options."

An opinion piece by Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz slamming the Obama admin. was aimed at isolationist Repubs. such as Rand Paul, not liberals, say some analysts. "The Cheneys were targeting Repubs., especially those who support the KY Republican's presidential aspirations."

Iran's radical Islamist leaders have a long term strategy to become the Middle East’s superpower, and in so doing spread their version of radical Islam throughout the region. If Obama makes common cause with Iran in Iraq he will significantly advance that goal.

Much of the Muslim world  is aflame and U.S. policy bears much of the blame.  Washington’s relentless attempt to reorder and reshape complex peoples, distant places, and volatile disputes has backfired spectacularly.

President Obama should stop reassuring other nations that they can remain permanent welfare dependents of the U.S.  He should start reassuring the American people that he will put their interests before those of countries reluctant to help themselves.

The U.S.-South Korea military alliance once made sense.  No longer.  American policy will not have really succeeded until South Korea ends its embarrassing security dependence on Washington.

From America’s standpoint, whose flag flies over Crimea today is irrelevant. But the revival of nationalism backed by military intervention sets an ominous precedent.

America and Russia are on a collision course today over a matter – whose flag will fly over what parts of Ukraine – no Cold War president, from Truman to Reagan, would have considered any of our business.

A new Pew Research poll found 56% of people say the U.S. should not get too involved after Russian forces took over the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. Another 29% think the U.S. needs to take a firm stand.