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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Nigerian Schoolgirl Kidnappings Are None of Our Business
Nick Gillespie @nickgillespie 10:29 AM ET
Nick Gillespie is the editor in chief of Reason.com and Reason.tv and the co-author with Matt Welch of The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix Whats Wrong with America.
The goal of U.S. foreign policy should always be tightly tied to protecting American lives, interests and property.
Its a heartbreaking situation, outrageous situation, said President Barack Obama, referring to the kidnapping of more than 250 schoolgirls in Nigeria by the radical terrorist group Boko Haram.
Thats absolutely true, but why in the world is Obama directly involving the U.S.weve already sent
a combination of military, law enforcement, and other agenciesin the search for the girls, who are reportedly being sold into slavery?
The goal of our foreign policy, and especially interventions involving soldiers, should always be tightly tied to protecting American lives, interests and property. If the past dozen years and actions of the two most recent presidents should have taught us anything, its that the U.S. is not particularly adept at solving its own domestic problems, much less those in faraway lands. Thats the reason why Gallup reports a 40-year low in trust in Washingtons foreign policy, with just 49 percent of Americans saying they have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in the governments ability to handle international problems.
As usual, the Obama White House hasnt been fully forthcoming with details about the American interventionits unclear how many soldiers have been dispatched or whether the Nigerian government has even officially signed off on U.S. involvementbut the president has left no doubt about his priorities. As a father of two girls, I cant imagine what their parents are going through, he told the press. Were also going to have to deal with the broader problem of organizations like this.
-snip-
more
http://time.com/93969/the-nigerian-schoolgirl-kidnappings-are-none-our-business/
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)Please spare me the Libertarian take on this.
pampango
(24,692 posts)people who are not citizens of that nation. Because once you start caring about someone, you are perilously close to considering their welfare to be 'your business'. Our 'business' should be restricted to our people and our stuff.
It's consistent with the libertarian commitment to the 'free market' and its "invisible hand". "Each person pursuing his own self-interest will produce the greatest common good. Likewise, each country pursuing its own national interest will produce the greatest common good."
Pretty obvious that a libertarian wrote this, not a liberal.
Supersedeas
(20,630 posts)whistler162
(11,155 posts)NuclearDem
(16,184 posts)and enabling the rise of fascism in Europe, it worked terrifically.
pampango
(24,692 posts)I doubt many liberals think that our foreign policy in the 1920's and 1930's was very wise.
Brickbat
(19,339 posts)the world's problems.
Supersedeas
(20,630 posts)Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Not even worth debating...
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)the "true" progressives hang.
DonViejo
(60,536 posts)He that posts negative comments about Glenn Greenwald doesn't want to read other posts unless they are "worth debating."
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)I'm just questioning the value of the column...We all know the boilerplate libertarian arguments against compassion and humanitarianism...
Not sure why you felt the need to mention Greenwald -- If you want to discuss him we can do so in another thread...
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)The limits of placing a higher priority on imaginary red and blue lines than on actual people are ofttimes frustrating...
Scuba
(53,475 posts)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_industry_in_Nigeria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_North_Korea
Why do you think these poor Nigerian girls are all over the US media while the starving North Koreans are seldom mentioned?
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)chrisa
(4,524 posts)aren't. Most of them are probably sold, and the rest are heavily dispersed. "Saving them" would actually be more of a police operation, not a military attack on a base, or something like that. The Nigerian police would be the best tool for doing this. We can give them help with intelligence.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)And would almost certainly end with many, many innocents dead or endangered at the very least.
Furthermore, the USA was asked for assistance.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)But good try at smearing me!
NuclearDem
(16,184 posts)And there's also more of a difference between Nigeria and North Korea than just in the energy sector.
Not excusing the lack of attention towards North Korea's children, but it's not entirely about oil.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)NuclearDem
(16,184 posts)An empire will always try to find some way to profit and mask it in humanitarianism to wave off criticism.
And frankly, I don't even necessarily disagree with your first post, it's just that there are numerous factors which complicate humanitarian relief in North Korea, like the notorious difficulties in reporting news not sanctioned by the regime, the widespread corruption that ends up putting that aid in the rulers' pockets or stomachs rather than the people, and it still legally being in a state of war with its neighbor.
If it had been just about any other country, I probably wouldn't have said anything.
Donald Ian Rankin
(13,598 posts)The problems worth paying attention to are *not* the worst problems, they're the problems where you can make the biggest difference.
What that means is that if a powerful state, like North Korea (or, still more so, China or Russia), commits human rights abuses, the US should probably be circumspect in its response, but if a weakish group like Boko Haram does, it may (and note that I don't go further than "may", because I don't know enough about the practicalities) be worth trying to stop them.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)elehhhhna
(32,076 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)MineralMan
(146,309 posts)Maybe this writer is looking for a gig with Greenwald's new outfit.
Disgusting.
Let's see who steps up to defend this racist, jingoistic bullshit.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Supersedeas
(20,630 posts)JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]
chrisa
(4,524 posts)It's everyone's business. Fundamentalism is a scourge. These are our fellow human beings.
We shouldn't send troops, but the writer seems to go to the other nonsensical extreme.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)and the Prime Minister of Canada asked for US assistance in rescuing them, our response should be "sorry, we only protect American lives". Because American lives are simply that much more important than foreign lives.
Cha
(297,240 posts)rode in on.