America's Soldiers Deserve Better
October 9, 2008
Washington, D.C.--Asked when American combat forces should be
used to quell humanitarian crises that pose no threat to U.S.
security, Barack Obama pointed to Darfur and Rwanda, saying, "When
genocide is happening…and we stand idly by, that diminishes
us." McCain agreed: "We must do whatever we can to prevent
genocide."
But according to Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn
Rand Center for Individual Rights, "Vowing to send U.S. troops on
selfless missions is a travesty.
"What Obama dismisses as standing 'idly by' really means: to
protect the irreplaceable lives of American soldiers by refusing to
ship them off on sundry 'peacekeeping' missions that do nothing to
make us safe. That is not some cold-hearted gesture, but the
government's moral obligation. Nothing but a threat to American
lives or freedom can justify putting our soldiers in harm's way.
Demanding they spill their blood in order to stop warring tribes
from slaughtering each other is an obscene violation of their
rights--regardless of how noble McCain or Obama thinks the cause
is.
"Our soldiers deserve better. Instead of sacrificing U.S.
treasure and lives for the alleged welfare of foreigners, we should
demand a foreign policy that treats American security as its
exclusive concern."
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