Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
While it's easy for pacifi sts (at home
and abroad) to complain about the
US military, the reality is that we are
the world's trai c cop. Americans pay
with blood and money to protect vic-
tims of tyranny and to defend democ-
racy and free enterprise around the
world. Defeating the USSR, saving
people from genocide in Kosovo,
deposing a dictator in Iraq, and fi ght-
ing the Taliban in Afghanistan are
expensive. Typically, the US foots
most of the bill while Europe moves in
with peacekeeping forces afterwards.
Or, as some people put it, “The US
does the cooking, and Europe does
the dishes.”
Given America's unique world-
leadership position, our limited eco-
nomic means, and the world's reliance
on our military might, we need to
choose our battles thoughtfully. There
are cases where the world supports
our involvement (Darfur, Kosovo,
Afghanistan), and places where they
don't (Central America and Iraq). We
can do whatever we want...but it sure
makes things easier on everybody
when we wield our might with the
support of our friends and allies.
Perhaps the EU wouldn't have so
much money for its infrastructure if it
had to do its own fi ghting. But con-
sider the fl ipside: By their judgment,
sinking money into their infrastructure
rather than into their military is bet-
ter for their long-term security. In the
European view, America is trapped in
an inescapable cycle to feed its mil-
itary-industrial complex: As we bulk
up our military, we look for opportu-
nities to make use of it. (When your
only tool is a hammer, you treat every
problem like a nail.) And then, when
we employ our military unwisely, we
create more enemies...which makes
us feel the need to grow our military
even more. If an American diplomat
complained to his European counter-
part, “America is doing all the heavy
lifting when it comes to military,” the
European might respond, “Well, you
seem to be enjoying it. We're building
roads and bridges instead.”
Traveling af ords a good opportu-
nity to consider how American military
might has helped make our world a
better place—and how it hasn't—and
what kind of fi scal and military policies
make a society stronger and safer.
