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Is Anything Worth Protecting



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We have attached importance to national borders. They geographically define America and since 1776 we, as a nation, have asked our government to protect those borders and every thing and everyone within. We have collectively joined to defend our nation against political interference, physical trespassing, and military attack. My question is: what are we protecting?

On the face of it the question is easy to answer. We are protecting America. Okay, but just what precisely does that mean? Our political system is unique and one of our basic assets. That would qualify. Our population requires laws, enforcement, and a judicial system. That too would qualify. Our historical traditions of honesty, integrity, charity,  and providing public education for our children would all qualify.  Our societys' work ethic, promotion of a free market,  and individual enterprise, and etc. This kind of list could go on and on, and can only partially describe the America we are pledged to defend.   

For 233 years we Americans have been successful.  We have, in fact, been even more than successful. Our nation has become the most powerful the world has ever seen. With our dominence we have been able to sign treaties and to make obligations to help other nations defend themselves. With our power we have enforced embargos and restrictions on other nations in an effort to persuade them to support our international interests.

We have not sought to take territory or plunder. This could be argued of course, but generally our purposes were ultimately defensive. The fact of it forces these questions:

(1) Why do we maintain a military presence in Germany and in several other foreign nations?
(2) Why do we need to manufacture thousands of nuclear weapons when only a few are capable of destroying humanity?
(3) We won the WAR in Iraq. Why do we need to support and rebuild that battlefield?
(4) We have enough oil reserves to serve our country for hundreds of years. Why do we insist on importing foreign oil?
(5) Japan has grown to be one of the leading nations in the entire world. An economic powerhouse. Why do we provide Japans' continuing military defense?
(6) We have immigration laws to prevent overwhelming migration to America. Why do we not enforce them?

And so forth . . .

Doesn't it seem like something is wrong?

Amen

Comments

Rain Trueax said…
You ask excellent questions
November 20, 2009 at 3:56 PM
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