Quote:
Originally posted by lovelyivy84
You have a point. But the financial aspect is not the only thing to be considered is what I am saying. Wars, whether ours or other people's, in the past have generally been good for business (sharp deviation from that trend with Vietnam) but that is just one aspect of the affect of getting involved in a foreign military action on this country.
One HUGE aspect of it is loss of life. I have family in different branches of the armed forces and am TERRIFIED for their safety should they be sent to train these groups and "accidents" happen.
Then of course there is the aspect of the way it would affect our role in international politics. The USA is a big convenient target. Other countries hate us, and some of them with damn good reason, for our past policies. Going into any other country as big brother just gives further justification for those anti-American sentiments and goads individuals and organizations to perpetrate more terrorist acts. I am not saying there is not reason to be big brother- America can be of great aid to any number of small countries, but it is a precarious and slippery slope.
Where do we stop? First we train them. Then when there might be a military action, we lend "minimal" support. Then when there are casualties we lend medical aid. Then when the country needs to be rebuilt we send advisors. It goes on and on, we spend billions and who knows what the repercussions will be? History tells us they won't be pretty.
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I doubt we will ever get involved with the Indonesian problems because their military are very capable. They are among the best in jungle and urban warfare. What we need to do is what we've been doing, selling arms and training the officers to be more profesionals. I'm not asking US troops to be sent to the jungle of JAva. Leahey amendment is very specific, it forbid our arms industry from selling weapons to the Indonesians troops until those that are involved in the East Timor massacre are brought to justice. Fat chance that will ever happen, so by exposing their military to profesionalism in our armed forces, their armed forces might be able to profesionalized themselve from within. It started back in 1997 or 1998, but quickly died out because they stopped being trained by US military (which, by the way, they pay for themselves. the training is funded by them) So we loose our influence, and they are reverting back to their old self.
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