Policeman of the World
Assignment 2.2: Policeman of the World Final Pape
HIS105 – Contemporary U.S. History
3/15/14
Since gaining independence from the British in 1776, the United States foreign policy over the years has gone from expansionist to isolationism to defending democracy. With the responsibility of defending democratic rights for those who cannot defend themselves, the United States in my opinion has taken on the role of “policeman of the world.” This role became more evident with the use of U.S. military force in international incidents like U.S. intervention in the 2011 Libyan Civil War to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and U.S. involvement in the 2011 Yemeni Civil War protesting the leadership of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Despite the United States being hailed as a defender of democracy by some, their actions are usually not selfless. In both situations protecting United States interests was a major factor. Both Libya and Yemen are hot beds for terrorist activity by radical groups like al-Qaeda. The United States keeps tabs on the activities of these groups in an effort to intercept information to thwart acts of terrorism, particularly against Americans. Leadership in these vulnerable countries is of great interest to the United States because some regimes are sympathetic to these militant groups. A lack of clear leadership in these countries also poses a threat to U.S. interests because a lapse in leadership can lead to militant groups seizing control.
Three aspects of U.S. history since 1865 that led to the US’s rise as a world super power policeman are religious and moral views, geopolitical reasons, and financial reasons. First, American missionaries believed that it was their duty to spread Christianity to the uncivilized areas of the world. Second, European nations were effectively dividing the resource rich areas of the world between them and were profiting greatly from these regions. The U.S. felt that
HIS105 – Contemporary U.S. History
3/15/14
Since gaining independence from the British in 1776, the United States foreign policy over the years has gone from expansionist to isolationism to defending democracy. With the responsibility of defending democratic rights for those who cannot defend themselves, the United States in my opinion has taken on the role of “policeman of the world.” This role became more evident with the use of U.S. military force in international incidents like U.S. intervention in the 2011 Libyan Civil War to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and U.S. involvement in the 2011 Yemeni Civil War protesting the leadership of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Despite the United States being hailed as a defender of democracy by some, their actions are usually not selfless. In both situations protecting United States interests was a major factor. Both Libya and Yemen are hot beds for terrorist activity by radical groups like al-Qaeda. The United States keeps tabs on the activities of these groups in an effort to intercept information to thwart acts of terrorism, particularly against Americans. Leadership in these vulnerable countries is of great interest to the United States because some regimes are sympathetic to these militant groups. A lack of clear leadership in these countries also poses a threat to U.S. interests because a lapse in leadership can lead to militant groups seizing control.
Three aspects of U.S. history since 1865 that led to the US’s rise as a world super power policeman are religious and moral views, geopolitical reasons, and financial reasons. First, American missionaries believed that it was their duty to spread Christianity to the uncivilized areas of the world. Second, European nations were effectively dividing the resource rich areas of the world between them and were profiting greatly from these regions. The U.S. felt that
References: Dilanian, K., & Cloud, D. (2012, May 16). U.S. escalates clandestine war in Yemen. In Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/05/washington-escalation-american- clandestine-war-yemen-us-troops-.html Dwyer, D. (2011, August 22). US military intervention in Libya cost at least $896 million. In abc News. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/08/us-military-intervention-in-libya-cost-at-least-896-million/ Schultz, K. M. (2014). HIST: Volume 2: U.S. history since 1865 (3rd ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Vietnam war. (n.d.). In History. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war