On foreign policy and intervention (blow back)

[A response to a video online]

If America didn't have nuclear weapons, but China did, would you find it acceptable that China continued to obstruct our ability to obtain nuclear weapons? China spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year spying on us, and trying to influence our political system. Do you resent that, and find it inappropriate? That's what America is doing in the Middle East, and really most of the world.

The position of Libertarian-leaning Republicans (like Governor Gary Johnson and Representative Ron Paul) is that the biggest reason that these groups hate us is because we don't represent liberty and freedom to them. We represent meddling, intrusive, empire-building imperialists. We are invaders to them, trying to IMPOSE a political system on them. Would you stand idly by while another nation imposed anything on us?

Governor Johnson and Representative Paul believe, and I agree, that if we treat these groups like equals, and with respect and dignity, that they will no longer be a threat. They'll spend their money, time, and resources on more constructive things. If we trade with them freely, then democracy will naturally take root and become a part of their culture. On the other hand, if we invade their lands, set up bases, and bomb them, then they'll naturally hate us and our political and economic systems. They'll resist them. Wouldn't you?

Governor Johnson and Representative Paul don't see a need to research these relatively obscure topics, because their political worldview and treatment of the other nations and peoples of the world would eliminate problems like these. Muslims would stop sending money to America to destroy and kill Americans, if America stopped sending money and troops to the Middle East to occupy and destroy them. It's the concept of "blow back" that Representative Paul has pointed out on so many occasions. It's real (the CIA acknowledges it), and yet, somehow, we believe that our actions will not have natural consequences.

Our problem is that we've grown arrogant as a nation. We believe that it's our right to dictate to the rest of the world how it should be. We believe that we're right, so we have the right to make unilateral decisions. That's not true. The rest of the world has every right to their political systems and cultures, regardless of how backward they may seem to us. Once we figure that out and treat them like equals, then they'll stop trying to kill us.

For all of our supposed "Christian values", we as a nation tend to forget the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If we treat them like undeserving inferiors, then they'll prove us tragically wrong. If we treat them like friends, then they'll be friends.