Brian4Liberty
05-25-2015, 02:48 PM
The best way to celebrate Memorial Day is to have a real debate about our foreign policy (http://rare.us/story/the-best-way-to-celebrate-memorial-day-is-to-have-a-real-debate-about-our-foreign-policy/)
By Bonnie Kristian - May 25, 2015
In his filibuster opposing the reauthorization of several key provisions of the Patriot Act last week, Sen. Rand Paul highlighted how unreasonable it is for the Senate to deliberately avoid debate on such an important topic. “We’ve known for three years this debate was coming up, and yet we’ve got no time for debate?” he asked incredulously. “No time for amendments? No time to discuss whether we’re willing to trade our liberty for security?”
Paul is right about the need—at a bare minimum—to insist on thorough and meaningful debate before taking legislative action that could infringe on our civil liberties.
Equally necessary, as Memorial Day should remind us, is a debate on what kind of foreign policy America should pursue.
Unfortunately, that debate is too often missing in our politics.
After the election of President Obama, the large-scale protests organized by the Bush-era antiwar left disappeared and the focus has shifted almost exclusively to aggressive foreign policy perspectives from both Republicans and Democrats. Though the country as a whole has lost much of its appetite for war in recent years, somehow the Washington debate remains thoroughly interventionist on both sides.
But as Sen. Paul likes to say, the federal government is about ten years behind the rest of the country.
Foreign policy is no exception.
...
But if our remembrance on Memorial Day is to mean anything, then attempt to trim it back we must. “To truly honor fallen soldiers requires self-reflection, questions and action,” says Army veteran Michael McPhearson. “Are we allowing the blood of soldiers and civilians to be spilled in war because we are not willing to do the hard work of peace making?”
Some may argue that Memorial Day is not the time to critique American foreign policy, to dredge up the horrors of war. I appreciate the desire to honor the fallen that motivates this hesitance, but I must respectfully and emphatically disagree.
Memorial Day is one of the few times each year—for the great majority of us who have not personally lost loved ones in a recent war—that the human cost of conflict is remembered and mourned. The greatest dishonor for the fallen would be to miss this opportunity for reflection.
We should use today to consider where American foreign policy has gone astray, how Washington is reckless with military and civilian lives and how we might better pursue peace in years to come.
...
More: http://rare.us/story/the-best-way-to-celebrate-memorial-day-is-to-have-a-real-debate-about-our-foreign-policy/
By Bonnie Kristian - May 25, 2015
In his filibuster opposing the reauthorization of several key provisions of the Patriot Act last week, Sen. Rand Paul highlighted how unreasonable it is for the Senate to deliberately avoid debate on such an important topic. “We’ve known for three years this debate was coming up, and yet we’ve got no time for debate?” he asked incredulously. “No time for amendments? No time to discuss whether we’re willing to trade our liberty for security?”
Paul is right about the need—at a bare minimum—to insist on thorough and meaningful debate before taking legislative action that could infringe on our civil liberties.
Equally necessary, as Memorial Day should remind us, is a debate on what kind of foreign policy America should pursue.
Unfortunately, that debate is too often missing in our politics.
After the election of President Obama, the large-scale protests organized by the Bush-era antiwar left disappeared and the focus has shifted almost exclusively to aggressive foreign policy perspectives from both Republicans and Democrats. Though the country as a whole has lost much of its appetite for war in recent years, somehow the Washington debate remains thoroughly interventionist on both sides.
But as Sen. Paul likes to say, the federal government is about ten years behind the rest of the country.
Foreign policy is no exception.
...
But if our remembrance on Memorial Day is to mean anything, then attempt to trim it back we must. “To truly honor fallen soldiers requires self-reflection, questions and action,” says Army veteran Michael McPhearson. “Are we allowing the blood of soldiers and civilians to be spilled in war because we are not willing to do the hard work of peace making?”
Some may argue that Memorial Day is not the time to critique American foreign policy, to dredge up the horrors of war. I appreciate the desire to honor the fallen that motivates this hesitance, but I must respectfully and emphatically disagree.
Memorial Day is one of the few times each year—for the great majority of us who have not personally lost loved ones in a recent war—that the human cost of conflict is remembered and mourned. The greatest dishonor for the fallen would be to miss this opportunity for reflection.
We should use today to consider where American foreign policy has gone astray, how Washington is reckless with military and civilian lives and how we might better pursue peace in years to come.
...
More: http://rare.us/story/the-best-way-to-celebrate-memorial-day-is-to-have-a-real-debate-about-our-foreign-policy/