Source:The Washington Post– Ronald W. Reagan (Republican, California) 40th President of the United States (1981-89)

“On In Play, Karen Tumulty revisits the key moments in which U.S. presidents have addressed the nation making a case for war or selling intervention in a foreign country.”

From The Washington Post

America has a history of intervening on wars in other countries and making mistakes there. Like in Korea in the 1950s and Vietnam in the 1960s and the 2003 War in Iraq. Which makes it harder for American presidents to intervene in other countries even when innocent people are being murdered by their own government’s. Like we are seeing in Congress right now when it comes to Syria. But America also has a history of intervening in places to protect the innocent that went successfully.

Like Europe during World War II, Iraq in 1990-91, the Balkans in the mid and late 1990s and Libya two years ago. Which is why when we do things like this it has to be limited to where we have clear interests, where the case can be made and where we can make a realistic and positive difference, you know the situation going in, you know what you would need to do to make a positive difference, you know what your capabilities are going in and what it will take to accomplish that mission successfully, and if you answer all of those questions positively that you know exactly what you’re doing and have a good plan and know you can pull it off successfully, then you make that call.

America should never intervene in other countries conflicts simply, because we don’t like the government there. Which is essentially what we did in 2003 in Iraq. Iraq didn’t even have the military to defend itself let alone threaten America or anyone else in the Middle East. They became a third world country with a third world military. Thanks to the 1991 Gulf War, all the economic sanctions and the weapons inspectors taking out their weapons.

America should only intervene to defend our own interests like defending an ally and when we can play a positive role. And also when we’re not by ourselves and have others that can help us.

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