Is America's foreign policy the root of terrorism?

2014-09-20T14:02:56-04:00

Since the end of WWII, America has attempted to lead the world to "Freedom." But, for what 'freedoms' have we really been fighting?

Iran: We supported a dictator, the Shaw, with weapons and money, so that "Big Oil" could extract the country's wealth, while ignoring the oppression of its people. When they revolted, we labeled them as 'evil' and have imposed blockades and sanctions ever since. We even protected the deposed Shaw and helped him steal his country's wealth. Why would the people now in power in Iran have anything but contempt for the U.S.?

Iraq: We supported Saddam Hussein's war against Iran, by giving him military weapons (and likely all the chemical weapons) to fight his war with Iran, which he used later to invade Kuwait and, ineffectively, attempted to fend off our attacks, twice, when we became displeased with his actions as a 'puppet' dictator.

Afghanistan: We supplied weapons and training to the Jihadists, who were fighting against the Russian invasion. When that war ended, they turned their attention to the U.S., why? (I'll take a guess below).

Saudi Arabia: We protect the Royal Family's power. It is a monarchy, not a democracy. They have the power to kidnap a 5 y.o. child off the street, marry her, and then begin a sex life with her at the age of 9 y.o., without ever informing the child's family. 'Royal' princes have done this, time and again. And, we protect their 'freedom' to do so.

So, what are the 'freedoms' we really fight for around the world? Our military has long been used for 70 years to wage war, not for the freedom of the people in the country with which we wage war, nor to protect American citizens' freedoms at home, but the freedom of American corporations to operate under the protection of whatever government we can put in power in that nation.

Since WWII, what war have we fought to protect America? Some might say, "Afghanistan, 2001-present." I disagree. After invading Afghanistan, our country was swept up in war so much, that it believed the lies of the Bush administration and we went to war in Iraq, AGAIN. The war in Afghanistan hasn't truly protected us, it has only fractured the group that attacked us on September 11, 2001. Has this made us safer? Or, did it spur the Benghazi attack? Also, according to the media pundits and world 'leaders,' ISIS is way more of a threat than Osama Bin Laden ever was? And, was it not the oppression of now ISIS supporters by the Syrian and Iraqi governments that created ISIS? If Saddam Hussein were still in power, would ISIS even exist?

Unless we plan on killing every person that may threaten us, we can not win the war on 'terror' with a bomb and a gun. But, I believe there is a solution.

It is time for America to STOP fighting wars to protect American corporate interests abroad. If MacDonalds, Mobile, Exxon, BP, Starbucks, KFC, Walmart, GM, Ford, GE, Apple, etc. etc. etc., want to do business in every country in the world, then they need to work with the governments of those countries themselves, not use the U.S. State department to broker the deals and the U.S. military to enforce it, or to keep 'puppet' governments in power, to protect these companies' interests.

"We don't negotiate with terrorists" has long been our motto. The reasons, I believe, is we don't want to give vindication to their true complaints, American corporate power over their sovereign nations, oppressing the peoples of those nations for the purpose of making American corporate shareholders wealthy.

Why do you think they attacked the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and, the intended target of The White House? I believe it is because they LIVE the connection of corporations and our war machines, which so many of us Americans refuse to see or acknowledge as the cause of the problems.

So, how do we really end this war on 'terror?' We STOP using our government to broker deals for corporate America. We STOP supporting 'puppet' regimes that protect "American interests abroad" (what are those interests, if not profit driven?). We support the U.N.'s peacekeeping efforts, wholeheartedly, to push democracy, human rights, and independence throughout the world. We put tax incentives in place to reward manufacturing, increased employment, and profit making at home and strong tax penalties for profits earned outside our border and even stronger penalties for keeping profits abroad, as opposed to the current policies of profits earned and kept outside our borders are free of taxation (this current policy only hurts our economy, two-fold).

But, hey, it's easier just to say 'they hate freedom,' label them all as 'evil' and blow 'em up, isn't it? Besides, we have more pressing issues to address at home, like: isn't Obama a Kenyan; abortion is murder; gays shouldn't marry; 'brown' children are invading our southern border; drugs are 'evil' and we must wage 'war' against them; prisons are for 'bad' people and we have a LOT of 'bad' people, now don't we; if you want better pay, get a better education; if you want a better education, you must mortgage your ass off, for decades, to get it. The list goes on and on and on.

Why to we spend trillions of taxpayer dollars on the F-35 and cut funding to the Department of Education? Why should we buy a thousand tanks the Pentagon doesn't want and cut medicare/medicaid? Why should we send Americans to fight for corporate 'freedoms' abroad, give those corporations tax breaks to move jobs overseas and then tell the unemployed and homeless, "Get a job!?!"

I've got an idea. Let's cut out the wars to defend corporate interests abroad and sending taxpayer money to the war machines' industries. Let's spend that money rebuilding America and the American dream. Let's invest in college grants and LOW/NO interest student loans. Let's give tax incentives to move production back to the U.S. and tax penalties for moving jobs out-of-country. Let's reduce America's dependency on oil, by giving tax incentives for very high MPG vehicles, sustainable/renewable energy production and 'off-grid' housing.

Please, join the conversation, varying opinions are welcome. I enjoy the discussion. But, please, can we keep it civil?

Or, just call this progressive a 'libtard' and enjoy your day.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2014 7:16 PM

2014-09-24T19:16:37-04:00

I started to write a long response to your post, but then I stopped myself. Terrorism existed long before the United States did, so in that sense, American foreign policy is not the "root" of terrorism.

That said, your points are valid, I think, and we probably could say that some of the alliances and actions of the United States have contributed to the terrorism problem ... motivated extremists to hate even more than they would without our help.

Response by SFC Jeff L. made Sep 25 at 2014 10:11 AM

2014-09-25T10:11:15-04:00

On a more serious note, I guess the premise is that it's our own fault we're being attacked by islamic extremists. Following that logic it's England's fault they've been attacked, France's fault for their getting attacked, Germany's fault, Nigeria's fault, Isreal's fault, Russia's fault, Christians' fault the world over, and who knows who else's fault for being attacked by islamic terrorists.

At what point does one admit that the common thread here is "islamic" terrorists? When do they become accountable for pursuing a tack that is the conversion, enslavement, or destruction of all infidels and apostates? How much more hatred would be "enough" hatred to motivate those attacks? Was it the fledgeling USA's fault that the Barbary Pirates attacked our ships and imprisoned our sailors? Was it Spain's fault that they were attacked by the Moors? Come on, man...Be brave enough to call it what it is...islam is at war with everyone who is not islamic, and has been since the time of mohammed.

Response by PO2 Rocky Kleeger made Sep 26 at 2014 1:42 PM

2014-09-26T13:42:51-04:00

I don't think that our foreign policy is the "root" of the problem, however, I do think we contribute to it. If you think about it, terrorism is still right here in the US. Part of the definition of terrorism is: The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear. Look at the gang activities...I call it domestic terrorism and that has nothing to do with our foreign policy

Response by PO2 Terry Lewis made Sep 26 at 2014 4:12 PM

2014-09-26T16:12:16-04:00

You have valid points, I also agree that corporations are using politicians who in turn use the military to increase profits. It's also true that it seems like Islam is at war with all that ain't Islam. Since I've left the service, I've had the chance to make an Iraqi friend. He hates that place more than I did I think, He's also Muslim, he's told me time and again, those guys are just pieces of shit. If ever there was a group that we needed to smash it's Isis.... did I get the acronym right? Granted I wasn't alive back in WWII but they seem like another Nazi group to me.