Ross Smith
Contributor
President Obama recently gave a speech on foreign policy, announcing his intentions to increase troop levels in Afghanistan by 30,000 in order to win the war on terror. A speech intended to provoke unity and patriotism merely echoed President Bush’s deceitful rhetoric for invading Iraq. A mirror image of ideas, Obama’s plan will simply further our countries involvement in another unjustified war. This reckless attempt at making America safer will achieve no such goal. It will only promote deeper debt, more military casualties and a wicked trend of policing the world.
Running on a platform of “change” and criticizing John McCain for being more of the same, President Obama, ironically enough, is just George W. Bush with a different swagger. Directly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, President Bush called our nation to arms in order to defeat those who attacked us. While his initial plan of sending military forces over to fight al-Qaeda was justified, things quickly changed as our nation was deceived into invading Iraq, a scheme that should go down as one of the most despicable acts any US President has ever taken.
Today, President Obama is using the same platform, justifying his actions as a way to fight terrorism and make our country safer. However, this course of action has nothing to do with defeating the culprits of 9/11. Current reports suggest that al-Qaeda’s numbers and resources in Afghanistan are deteriorating, posing a negligible threat to our national security. General James Jones, Obama’s top national security advisor said “”The al-Qaeda presence (in Afghanistan) is very diminished. The maximum estimate is less than 100 operating in the country, no bases, no ability to launch attacks on either us or our allies.” Still, many defend Obama’s plan on the merits that al-Qaeda attacked us from Afghanistan with support from the Taliban government. Conversely, the 9/11 commission report concluded that there is “no evidence that any foreign government – or foreign government official – supplied any funding” to al-Qaeda. Since we are supposedly fighting terrorists, why don’t we invade Sri Lanka, as they commit more acts of terrorism than any other country? The reason is because Obama plans to re-build the Afghan government, just like Bush planned to rebuild the Iraqi government.
According to our Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war, yet countless military engagements since 1945 have occurred without Congressional consent. Furthermore, when politicians don’t declare war, the wars don’t end. The United States defeated the Axis Powers in under four years because we declared war, set clear objectives and fully committed ourselves to the task at hand. Today, this supposed “War on Terror” is going on nine years, yet no end is in sight.
Unfortunately, in our two-party system, Americans have a lack of options- both the Democratic and Republican parties support this war in Afghanistan. However, Americans have another alternative. The Libertarian party is the only party that opposes America’s current foreign policy and truly believes in saving American lives and restoring our civil liberties.
Thomas Jefferson said in his inaugural address: “peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.” Following our founding fathers advice and pursuing a non-intervention foreign policy would accomplish more than any un-just war ever did. A step in the right direction would require our military-empire in over 100 countries to end. As a result, we could save thousands of lives, hundreds of millions of dollars, and the credibility this great nation once had as a role-model for the rest of the globe.
If you are upset with both parties and seek a real party that promotes peace, freedom and prosperity and want to learn more about Libertarianism, contact Ross Smith at ras010@mcdaniel.edu
