After decades of war supported by both the Democrats and Republicans, there may be no bigger and serious issue facing our nation. With nearly 700 military bases in over 130 countries, the United States has and continues to be the largest military force in the world. Over the next several election cycles, a serious look at U.S. foreign policy will address the cost of such great power and what military actions are in our nation’s best long-term interest.
The United States has been engaging in formal talks with the Taliban, negotiating the release of imprisoned insurgents for pledges of peace.
The last several months have seen a dramatic increase in drone strikes, lead by Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and the CIA, carried out against suspected militants.
The more unchecked power the president exercises over foreign policy, the more the US fights costly wars of preemption, intervention, and nation-building.
Last October, the War in Afghanistan reached its 10-year anniversary. Our invasion of Afghanistan was launched as a direct result of the events of 9/11, with a goal to eradicate Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the various terrorist factions.
The $700 billion we spend on our military empire and the $50 billion we hand out to other countries as foreign aid could pay off a lot of debt, protect social security and Medicare, and strengthen our porous borders right here at home.
President Ahmadinejad’s faction, the Monotheist and Justice Party, lost substantially in the massive turnout election, coming up with only 13 of the 65 seats that were being contested.
Representative Paul Ryan has a reputation for taking bold steps to balance the budget. However, his partisan budget plan does not meet his own standards for a solution to our nation’s woes.
Human rights activists decry the use of drones as inhumane assassinations, citing the secrecy under which various government departments utilize them, and questioning the approval process for targeted killings.
The White House and President Obama have taken another page out of the Bush playbook, classic “kill the messenger” instead of looking at the problem at hand.
The US seemingly has endless war, conflict, and invasion. In 2010 the US accounted for a staggering 41% of worldwide military spending.
