For the last half decade, we have been having problems with Iran. Actually, we've been having problems with Iran since the mid-1950's, but I want to focus on the more recent events. Lately, Iran has been building up their military and conducting naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Energy Information Agency, about 17 million barrels of oil pass through the strait a day. The oil is being delayed to its recipient nations, therefore, causing oil prices to go up. (http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/03/world/meast/iran-u-s-/index.html).
Iran is supposedly attempting to block the strait due to their outrage of increased sanctions by the United States and several European nations, such as Germany and France. The reason for the economic sanctions is due to an insistent desire by the Iranian government to develop a nuclear program, which the U.S. and many of its allies have warned them not to establish.
I admit that Iran gaining a nuclear weapon threatens the stability of the region, especially after U.S. troops completed a complete withdrawal of the country in December 2011. However, nothing good has ever come from economic sanctions. Sanctions, in themselves, are basically an act of war. Refusing to trade with a country because of a disagreement in policies is what caused the Cold War. Prior to that, before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. had placed strict measures against the Japanese government when in January 1940, the U.S. refused to signing a new commercial treaty, and after July 1940, some of these implemented measures "deprived Japan of aviation fuel, high-grade scrap, and after January 1941, virtually every raw material and metal of any real importance" (1).
With rising gas prices and the current state of our economy, the United States cannot embark on an aggressive foreign policy. Wars cost excessive amounts of money. In fact, military spending is the worst budget policy a government can make (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11495.htm).
The reason for this is pretty obvious. War spending forces a country to build resources only to destroy them (ie. bullets, bombs, grenades, etc.). In another case, we are building resources like tanks, bombers, fighter jets, rifles, etc. to either deteriorate or be damaged or destroyed in battle. By the way, building these weapons are insanely expensive. For example, an F-22 costs around $150 billion to produce (2), while a tank costs around $1 million a piece (3).
Unfortunately, many conservatives feel that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is good foreign policy because it ensure the safety of not only ourselves, but our allies, chiefly Israel. However, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel does not need aid from the United States.
Frankly, I agree with him. We don't need to be over there. We don't need to intervene and stick our noses in every one's business. We need to quit picking fights overseas and calling it "defending our freedoms". I would argue that our freedom is threatened not by radical Islamic fundamentalists, but by our own government. The USA Patriot Act is one of the biggest intrusions of constitutional rights in our nation's history, along with the more recent passing of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was declared martial law. Martial law is defined as "the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis—(usually) only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively (e.g., maintain order and security, and provide essential services), when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law becomes widespread" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law). What's ironic is this bill allows the President to detain American citizens without formal charges and a trial. That's absurd.
So what does "protecting" the Pakistan/Afghan border have to do with securing our freedom when our freedoms are stripped from us right under our noses? Why is it necessary to risk the lives of our service men and women overseas when they would be more useful protecting our own borders? That should be a priority. The FBI has confirmed that Al Qaeda operatives are training in Mexico and Latin America and that they routinely cross the Mexican border illegally (http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/11/20/151654.shtml). Conservatives speak of "defending our freedoms", but they are endangering the country by not focusing on the real mission -- securing our borders.
It is in my humble opinion that we remove the economic sanctions on Iran, pull our naval fleet out of the Persian Gulf, and leave Iran alone. If they do gain a nuclear weapon, which intelligence claims they are close to achieving, we should try diplomacy. President Reagan tried that approach and took down the Soviet Union without firing a single shot, while simultaneously maintaining a strong national defense.
Let's not get in over our heads. The American people can't afford another war. The national debt is already looming large, and without significant cuts in spending (actual cuts, not just on proposed increases), we will run this country into the ground. To do that, the U.S. needs to first and foremost change its foreign policy, and lead by example, not by force.
1. "Wilmott, H.P; Cross, Robin; Messenger, Charles. World War II. Dorling Kindersley Limited. 2004. Pg 111."
2. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_a_fighter_jet_cost
3. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_price_of_an_army_tank
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