When did we vote to become the world police?

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   BuffaloGal1960posted 11 years ago

   When did we vote to become the world police?
   
   I didn't think I'd missed an election.

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   conradofontanillaposted 11 years ago

   I live in the Philippines that is a republic. That means we vote for our government officials similar to that in USA.
   You did not vote to make USA the world police. However, your vote can be used according to your wishes or against your wishes, like the USA becoming a world police. This involves governance or translation of the vote into power. The vote is the political power of the voter. Lots of votes are consolidated in an elective official, like the president. The individual voter cannot withdraw his/her vote when s/he sees that the votes is being used for purposes other than s/he wishes. That means the president carries more power than the individual voter. The president can now use that power ignoring the individual dissenting voter. It takes peoples' movement to control the power of the president or any other elected official. It took a lot of American peoples' protest to stop the US policies adverse to Vietnam. The Vietnam issue had divided the American society.
   Foreign affairs is not the usual cup of tea of an individual voter. A nation that has grown powerful enough minds the affairs of other countries. I might write a Hub on this topic.

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      BuffaloGal1960posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your answer. I do understand the voting process. I was simply making a point.  But you should write a hub!  I'd love to read it.

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   LandmarkWealthposted 11 years ago

   Unfortunately, since the end of WW2 while most of the world was in shambles, the US took on this role.  We started with paying for the rebuilding of Europe with the Marshall plan, and began to police the world because there was nobody else to do it.  In our quest to maintain stability, often times in many regions we have been responsible for propping up dictatorships because the alternative was worse.  And when we helped to bring down dictatorships, we often end up with exactly what we were afraid of.  Many times the result may have been the same with or without American influence.  But the fact that we are involved behind the scenes as well as up front puts us in the middle of too many conflicts.  Even when the intent is solid, it seems to often the result is not worth the price paid.
   
   In my view, US foreign policy both from a military as well as a diplomatic perspective should be based only on US national interests and not "humanitarian" initiatives.  Most of the humanitarian efforts are rewarded with disdain by such nations anyway.  We have spent too many decades attempting to be the police, and it has afforded those who we have policed well, such as the South Koreans to live under our protection and our dime.   It is high time for them to do that on their own dime.  And the places in the world that are in chaos, we get the blame whether deserving or not. And we get stuck with the bill their as well.

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      BuffaloGal1960posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Very well stated. Love your answer and explanation.  I know in certain ME countries, we use circumstances and locations to obtain intelligence that is best for our nation's interest, but I do not believe in paying the billions that go with that.

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