Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Quote of the Day: The Enemy Gets a Vote
“Let us recollect that peace or war will not always be left to our option; that however moderate or unambitious we may be, we cannot count upon the moderation, or hope to extinguish the ambition of others.”
—Alexander Hamilton
It may seem like a trivial opinion that peace requires everyone to agree. A fight will continue until all parties stop fighting. If someone starts hitting me, I am now in a fight, regardless of whether I want to be in a fight or not. This applies in foreign policy as well. Does anyone remember that George W. Bush ran on a platform of keeping us out of foreign wars?
When September 11th happened, it meant we were at war until the Islamic Supremacists decided to stop attacking us. We could sit and take the beating, or fight back. Naturally, we chose to fight. I remember people seriously discussing the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Afghanistan. Mr. Moderate, John McCain, stated: “May God have mercy on them, for we will not.” Our military mobilized and devastated the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Although they regrouped and maintained a slow burn, every time that they have come together we slaughtered them. This is as it should be.
This kind of mindset drove me toward conservatism. All of the weenie leftists in college moaned about peace like it was a drug they were smoking. We were bad people and deserved 9/11 for being bad. The idea of kneeling in submission to jihadis and Osama, letting them treat America like the new prisoner in the cellblock, filled me with white-hot rage. Even if we surrendered, they might have just keep killing us as sacrifices to Allah.
Fight the enemy until they know they are defeated. Then, both of you can agree on peace.
Published in Group Writing“Si vis pacem, para bellum” – Vegetius (If you desire peace, prepare for war)
Well if we leave them alone then we will us alone.- Every Libertarian ever.
If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it – I will not look for you, I will not pursue you… but if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you… and I will kill you. – Liam Neeson
Preach it, brother!
I was profoundly disappointed immediately after 9/11 when the Libertarian Party blamed the attacks on our foreign policies. I swore I would never be associated with them again. I have no respect for pacifists. I do not think it admirable, or even tolerable.
OP,
The Hamilton quote is just perfect. This prudent, flexible, and strategic mindset accepts the reality of foreign policy and all of its burdens. You will never be in perfect control of foreign policy and any attempt thereof would imply a megalomaniacal mindset that would only lead to disaster.
Right now, with Iran, once again many of our best minds are relentlessly obsessing over Trump’s tweets. They seem to forget just what Iran is capable of and likely to do. I think the President is doing very, very well. Tweeting aside, he has the Olive Branch in one hand and the Big Stick in the other. This is how it should be and how it must be.
Regards,
Jim
The real problem is that even Neeson’s attitude is too selfish. The type of person who took his daughter needs to be hunted down and killed, even if they let her go.
His threat is proper in the circumstances. My point is that his promise not to pursue is a promise that should not be kept.
The world is a very unpleasant place sometimes. Leftists and Libertarians seem to be in denial about this. I think that there is a deep spiritual reason for this.
I once read that every single president has run on that platform.
Reminds me of this
That verse was vital to my salvation. Realizing God was not a peacenik hippie set the stage for accepting him as my savior.