Our Military Stands Strong To Deter, Not Provoke

Perhaps the foremost justification for strengthening the role of the federal government in the early days of the Union was to improve the means for defending ourselves from foreign aggression.

The participants in this project remain all for defending ourselves with all our might. However, they are far from accepting this as a blank check to use the military at will. The question is where to draw the line.

Pat in Superior: We’re supportive of national defense yes. But I do think there is an underlying feeling that we’re spread too thin. That we cannot police the world.

Radha in Concord:  Having our military stationed all around the world, and having our young people dying, we are not the police for the world.

Paul in Ajo: I think we need to defend our country, and we do, there’s no question about that.  But we can’t be going to all these other countries when we don’t know what the devil is going on.   

Bettis in Edgefield:  I don’t think occupying Afghanistan or Iraq or any other countries is likely to help us in securing ourselves from foreign aggression.

“Our Military Stands Strong To Deter, Not Provoke” is the eighth of “10 principles to unite America” that look both to the past and to the future, reminding us of what we hold dear as Americans and at the same time challenging us to do better. They stand out as common purpose for our nation.

Introduction to this project

Use of uncommon methods

Based on four very different locales

All participants readily acknowledge that the world is very much more complicated than it once was, woven together with mutual dependencies of economies and national interests, intermingling of nationalities, military treaties and trade agreements, and – for good reason or bad – constant maneuvering for national advantage.  Due to these many considerations, it’s not a military man but the President who is commander-in-chief.

All also acknowledge that defending our shores is not nearly so simple as keeping a watch for invading warships. We can be out-flanked today without a shot being fired. Oil supplies can dry up, nuclear weapons can proliferate, cyberwarfare can shut down just about anything, pandemics don’t stop at borders.

The many variables amount to a complex equation.  Still the participants, speaking their minds several years prior to our messy withdrawal from the 20-year war in Afghanistan, drew a bright line against using the military in fruitless attempts at nation-building.

They prefer we emphasize peacekeeping, diplomacy, economic sanctions if necessary, rather than committing our young men and women to fighting endless wars without a clear purpose.

The general public agrees with that sentiment. When asked about America’s conduct of foreign policy*, 63% of voters said they wouldn’t go beyond discussions about mutual interests with other countries. Only a combined 24% would resort to varying levels of sending in the military. The remainder of those polled weren’t sure.

The principle is “Our Military Stands Strong To Deter, Not Provoke.” Protecting our interests is one thing. Imposing ourselves on others is something else.

Radha in Concord: Who are we to say how people in other countries should be living?

Greg in Edgefield: We shouldn’t be imposing our will on anybody else.

* Our Common Purpose’s nationwide poll of 1,500 voters conducted by SurveyUSA in June 2020.