At the debate Sunday night, a woman born in Afghanistan asked what we should do to support women and children in Afghanistan from the radicals. The implicit question was, "Should we continue the war in Afghanistan for humanitarian reasons?"
Without a well established set of principles on foreign policy, this is a very difficult moral question to answer. Good thing our founding fathers wrote a lot of stuff down. We can now use their words as a guide to answer the questions of the day.
John Quincy Adams* on the 4th of July, 1821 said:
"Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.
But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.
She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.
She is the champion and vindicator only of her own."
But Slater, we believe in women's rights in America, so we need to support the rights of women and everyone around the world!"
To that argument, Adams says:
"She [America] has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings."
The Tea Party is all about returning this nation to our founding principles. Why then, are we so quick to dismiss our founding foreign policy principles as out of date or suggest they no longer apply? What other really old stated principles no longer apply? The Declaration of Independence? The Bill of Rights? The Bible?
We discussed this in further detail with some GREAT phone calls to that Afghan woman's question at 7:00:
http://media.worldnow.com/kfmbam/podcast/the_mike_slater_show_5325.mp3
Furthermore, what does that Afghan woman want us to do? Occupy her country with 100,000 American service members for another 10 years? Does that promote women's rights? That's not our military's jobs. Their job is to kill people and break things, not promote rights. There is no way that using the military is the best way to "spread democracy" around the world (whatever that even means, considering we aren't even a democracy).
***UPDATE***
I got a few E-mails from SlaterCrusaders arguing that the Monroe Doctrine proves that our founding fathers believed in an expansionist foreign policy. I believe it actually proves the exact opposite, that countries on the other side of the world should stop messing around outside their borders. CLICK HERE for a speech from James Monroe in 1823. Does this sound like someone who supports oversea military adventures?
"In the wars of the European powers, in matters relating to themselves, we have never taken any part, nor does it comport with our policy to do so. It is only when our rights are invaded, or seriously menaced, that we resent injuries, or make preparation for our defence."
* John Quincy Adams is not technically a founding father, but he was the son of John Adams, ambassador to the Netherlands under Washington, Prussia under his dad, Russia and England under Madison, Secretary of State under Madison and our 6th president. Clearly he is a man who was influenced by our founding fathers.
