| Military interventions around the world have been a | | | | rise against Americans overseas, thus jeopardizing |
| source of public debate for over a century. Early | | | | American investment. This argument would be echoed |
| statesmen, like George Washington, Thomas Paine, | | | | by subsequent presidents as an excuse to invade the |
| Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe were all | | | | Middle East. |
| advocates of non intervention and sometimes even | | | | There was another argument for military intervention |
| isolationist policies, favoring diplomacy first. On the | | | | offered up by President Woodrow Wilson. In response |
| other hand, Teddy Roosevelt was an early proponent | | | | to Armenian genocide occurring during his term, he |
| of acquiring Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spain in the | | | | petitioned Congress for a humanitarian intervention |
| late 1890s and was further credited with inciting the | | | | overseas, stating: "The sympathy for Armenia among |
| Panamanian Revolt against Colombia so the US could | | | | our people has sprung from untainted consciences, |
| secure construction rights for the Panama Canal in | | | | pure Christian faith, and an earnest desire to see |
| 1904. | | | | Christian people everywhere succored in their time of |
| Despite intermittent public calls for neutrality and | | | | suffering, and lifted from their abject subjection and |
| government transparency, more instances of military | | | | distress and enabled to stand upon their feet and take |
| intervention would soon follow: Woodrow Wilson in | | | | their place among the free nations of the world. |
| WWI, Eisenhower/Kennedy/Johnson/Nixon in the | | | | Our recognition of the independence of Armenia will |
| Vietnam War, JFK in Cuba, Nixon in Chile, Carter in | | | | mean genuine liberty and assured happiness for her |
| Afghanistan, Reagan in Grenada, Bush Sr. in Panama, | | | | people, if we fearlessly undertake the duties of |
| Kuwait and Somalia, Clinton in Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo, | | | | guidance and assistance involved in the functions of a |
| and most recently, Bush Jr's intervention plan for the | | | | mandatory." This argument resurfaced as a |
| Middle East. | | | | justification to invade Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo. |
| "We stand at the Armageddon and we battle for the | | | | There can be no easy answer to the question of |
| Lord," Theodore Roosevelt yelled from the platform. | | | | whether to use military intervention or not. When |
| He continued, "This country belongs to the people. Its | | | | aggressors set their sights on America, the US has no |
| resources, its business, its laws, its institutions, should be | | | | choice but to respond with Roosevelt's "big stick." |
| utilized, maintained, or altered in whatever manner will | | | | When political analysts speak of living in "a post-9/11 |
| best promote the general interest." The case for | | | | world," they point to the difficulty of simply sitting idle, |
| military intervention was to protect America from | | | | allowing the world to stew in anti-American sentiment. |
| selfish interests. | | | | However, people like Noam Chomsky point out how |
| With American businesses opening up overseas, there | | | | American interventionist ambitions led to most of the |
| was always the danger that the host country would | | | | violence against the country. |