Not long ago I spoke with someone about what is to be done in Iraq. I said we ought to just come home because we're in the same situation that we were in 4 years ago when this question came up in the presidential debates. The person with whom I was speaking said its a very complicated situation and that we need to ease our way out of the country.
We continued to talk and I asked why America is militarily in all these other countries anyway - a course I am resolutely opposed to. He explained that after the second world war and Hitler's rise to power America decided that we could no longer allow such things to potentially happen. That historical argument was one I had never seriously considered before so the conversation ended and I was left to internalize that statement. I gave it some dedicated thought, and at first found it compelling. But only at first.
The argument is inherently an emotional one - one that seems to necessitates an admission of lack of compassion and good judgement if I were to oppose the argument. And it implies that we can only stop evil dictators from rising to power by military expansion. Both implications are simply untrue.
I eventually came back to the basics - nation building and military expansion is an irresponsible expense - no matter the excuse; preventing a Hitler, spreading democracy, to keep our enemies at bay, or to concur the world in the name of Rome.
The Romans expanded to much for their own good, of course several other nations did the same before them. The British Empire is long gone. In the case of the Romans they actually taxed all the lands they hand concurred. We tend to give money away. If they couldn't last through expansion how do we expect to?
And as for the Hitler argument I can understand us wanting to keep the peace but unless we foresee others' affairs affecting us directly in a big big way in the immediate future we are not justified to play God/big brother/policeman on this planet. And in the case that we feel we need to take action an open and serious declaration accompanied by a special forces team to take out a leader is more effective than a long expensive war. Besides all that the Hitler argument is a hoax. No one talks about Stalin but he killed far more than Hitler. America has turned a blind eye to Mao's atrocities while he killed far more than both Stalin and Hitler combined.
We ought to stay out of other people's business. Surprising as this may seem a lot of people don't like us in their country. Would you like it if China was in your backyard? It's offensive, and its not an impossibility by the way. Others like us in their countries because we give them money. Lets not make others dependent on us; we cannot afford it and neither can they.
The practical outlook on war is simple and mirrors this verse in the 48 chapter of the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon:
"Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives."
