Much truth in what TM said here;
" Phalanx....,the USA use to be neutral state in most instances, i.e. no foreign entanglements. But at the end of WW2 the USA was about the only country not destroyed and strong enough to police world affairs. Then the neocon took over foreign policy and neutrality is not in their vocabulary; but tension, meddling, and intervention is. Problem is the neocons think of the world as still a unipolar US playground; but it isn't,-- it's multipolar now."
Yes, the neocons have done their damage, but much of the above history is natural progression. Unlike ancient times, wars and warlike nations today severely affect the whole world. Even back as far as our "French & Indian" war, that war was an offshoot of the french vs English, "Seven years war"..which was raging inEurope at the time.
Given today's exponentially increasingly capablility of communications, travel, nuclear power and weapons that can now reach our shores in minutes, we can no longer afford the luxury of ignoring what is going on in the rest of the world.
Being the lone super power, the lot seems to fall to us, to police the world. In fact, with 9/11, the war was brought to us even BEFORE we acted.. Yes religious nut-cases, but there are millions like them..
Yes, the neocons have terribly abused the case, but it is our job to vote them out..and pressure the Republicans to reject such candidates.
No, I am not a republican, since I take G Washington serious as to what he said concerning political parties, even though I can be depended to vote for the more conservative candidate.
A sad situation perhaps, but if we don't do it.. China may take the job..