On foreign policy.

The United States of America are in a tough position, put there by the leaders of this country over the last century or more (primarily Wilson, FDR, and the Cold War presidents). What is our situation? We have soldiers scattered all across the world, we send money to people everywhere (in many cases to people on opposite sides of a single conflict), we rush to impose our will by means of economic sanctions (which tend only to hurt the masses of a country, while the elites take advantage of it to rail against us as the great enemy, thereby solidifying their control all the while enjoying an undisturbed standard of living at their citizens' expense) or by military intervention (Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq, Iraq again, Lebanon, the list keeps getting longer), we simultaneously preach about civil rights and sovereignty while pushing the UN with its terrible record on both issues (indeed, the latter is considered the enemy by proponents of the UN, while the former is ignored whenever the UN finds it expedient to do so) and while treating many other countries as if they were little more than protectorates without any of the rights of sovereign states. This cavalier attitude toward the rest of the world is harmful both to us and to them. It allows dictators and tyrants to point to us as the enemy, fueling their propoganda and making their domination of their peoples both easier and more complete. It hurts us economically, as countries everywhere see us as exploiting them and therefore try their hardest to exploit us back, by means of everything from extensive subsidies to entire industries to easy access to dirt cheap labor in large quantities. There are countless other problems caused by the pattern of behavior set by our progressive internationalist leaders over the last century, with consequences that we are even still just beginning to feel (and more loom ever closer on the horizon, such as the growing military threat in China and nacent communism resurfacing in Russia's recent policies).

So what can be done about these things? Is it too late to correct the situation, or are we stuck with a bad hand and must simply play it through to the end? All that is really needed is this: a return to Constitutional government at home and a consequent return to the basic principles of limited government, personal freedom and responsibility, and fair and moral treatment of others (both domestically/personally and internationally). Simply applying the Golden Rule should make things much better very quickly. We want other countries to treat us as a free and sovereign state, so we ought to treat them in the same manner. No violating their borders, interfering with their internal politics, or supporting unpopular or dangerous regimes with vast sums of money. End all foreign subsidies and aid, thereby cutting the government's budget by an immense sum. Eliminate our overseas bases (with the possible exception of a handful of naval stations for convenient resupply of carrier groups), bringing our troops home from wherever they may be (be it Iraq or Germany). This would not only remove a lot of the onerous presence that so many people object to, it would also make our country vastly more secure against foreign military threats (after all, who would be dumb enough to invade the USA when its entire armed force is available to oppose them instead of being scattered to the four corners of the earth?). As for trade, eliminate the various so-called free trade agreements, which are anything but free. Instead, institute a fair trade policy, where our government matches whatever subsidies a foreign state puts on a particular industry by imposing tarrifs to match, while also matching whatever tarrifs other countries put on our goods (so those who pursue a protectionist policy wind up suffering from one themselves when they try to send goods to us). This in general should promote fair trade practices, by making subsidies useless and discouraging high tarrif barriers. Let the quality of American goods speak for itself on the market; if they aren't worthwhile, then they shouldn't succeed, but if they are then their own qualities should ensure their success. The UN and other international organizations are another matter. We have ambassadors and allow embassies on our soil for the express purpose of communicating with our fellow states. Why do we need an international body with its own power, its own agenda, and its own political sensibilities (most of which are at odds with American Constitutional government) to do a job that we already have the means to accomplish? Did the UN actually stop World War Three? I think not. Indeed, by getting us into Korea and countless other conflicts, it has pushed us closer to another general war than it ever pulled us away from one. NATO may have served a certain purpose during the height of the Cold War, but now what does it really do for us other than spread our troops around to defend and increasingly hostile Europe from monsters of their own making? Mutual defense alliances and treaty organizations are a very dangerous thing. All it takes is one member deciding to go to war and suddenly we find ourselves fighting overseas for who knows what reason. Not only is that an unsafe proposition, but it is patently illegal. The warmaking power is reserved exclusively for Congress (contrary to popular belief, being commander-in-chief does not allow the President to start wars unilaterally; instead, it only allows him to direct our armed forces after Congress declares war) and is not meant to be delegated to foreign powers that most likely do not have our best interests in mind.

In short, the best option of the United States to follow is that of careful neutrality, economic fairness, and diplomatic and military firmness without needless intervention in the internal affairs of sovereign countries. To those who object to such things as the genocide in Darfur, ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, or human rights abuses in China, I answer that nothing is stopping them from taking action themselves. Whether they find an organization and donate to it, purchase arms and hire instructors to promote oppressed peoples' ability to defend themselves, or even volunteer to fight on behalf of the victimized, it is their choice and their freedom so to act. The General Government of the United States has neither the responsibility nor the lawful power to interfere, nor do other governments have any legitimate ability to do the same to us. Sovereignty and responsibility are not just for individuals, they are for states as well. Respecting those things in others and promoting them internally are the best policies available to people and to countries.