Another “Conservative” Chides Me For Non-Intervention “Folly”

Mandeville, LA – It takes one whale of a leap in reasoning to use the example of Communism’s most famous Communist critic -Solzhenitsyn- to backup the claim that Our Empire is the one be-knighted by Almighty God to police the planet, protect those who cannot vote and covertly re-arrange the political systems of countries at our pleasure. But then again, reason, Christian Just War theory and humility have never been traits of those I call “DeceptiCONS” (most call them NeoCons).

This gentleman applauds our efforts to destabilize Ukraine while warning that Putin’s alleged attempts at the same are despicable (even though Ukraine has been part of Russia since Catherine the Great). I will not reply to Thomas because I’ve covered this topic a hundred times before e.g. Here, Here (with Kevin Gutzman) and using Professor Claes Ryn’s “New Jacobins” book (Thomas seems to have adopted Jacobinism) Here.

Comments: Mike

21 July, 2014 – I find it difficult to support your presuppositions behind your argument suggesting that this entire MH17 affair is a CIA plot to bolster US military/industrial companies/profits. Sinister and malicious would characterize my reaction.

Solzhenistyn lamented the lack of moral clarity in the West, particularly here in the US, and the consequent survival of evil in the world. I am not sure where the Founding Fathers would have landed on this subject, but my sense is that nation states do not have the right to interfere in the affairs within a country, but do have the right to influence the outcomes of relationships between nations. That influence at time will extend to the use of military force.

It is foolhardy to suggest that a retreat to our shores is a wise and fully informed foreign policy. Allow evil to exist and only react when it comes to your shoreline? Allow the weak and downtrodden to suffer the cruelties of tyrannts and dictators? General Sisi is better than the Muslim Brotherhood, but certainly no improvement upon other dictators.

I am not unfamiliar with your arguments, but find them overly simplistic and not really in the best interests of this nation’s security. Communism, Islamic jihadists and corporate idolatries are representative of the evils in this world and deserving of efforts to thwart their success and influence both around the world and in this country.

Mr Backenstose has written me on this subject before and I thank him for his brief compliments and his disagreements:

I enjoy listening to your show. Your penchant for reading from original documents is an exercise I have long endorsed and sought to implement personally when reading. And your analysis is both insightful and thought provoking.

However, your foreign policy positions are not your strong suit. I love Buchanan and Paul, but the wheels always fell off the wagon when foreign policy issues emerged. America is not an isolationist country. Never has been, never will be. Countries will have alliances, based on values, strategic interests, and geopolitical alignments. And, as Jefferson stated implicitly in the Declaration of Independence, free men can overthrow an oppressive government and in the course of doing so “contract Alliances”. Those alliances historically have been with countries sharing a Western view of civilization, but not exclusively.

Jeanne Kirkpatrick’s last book, Making War to Keep Peace, is a thoughtful analysis of where and when this country should use force abroad. She defines the strategic interests of this country abroad and works within the norms of international conventions. She did not support Bush’s entry into Iraq and the reasons for that opposition are clearly enunciated.

I would argue that strengthening the economy and returning to a political vision aligned more closely with the Founding Fathers, does not require a weakening of either our military capabilities or our commitment to NATO, Israel, Canada, and South America. And I find the isolationist tendency alarming, given that the French, Poles, and Germans assisted in our own fight for freedom. To now suggest turning our backs on others around the world who are fighting their own battles for freedom and prosperity seems to ignore the historical lessons from the American beginnings.