Reflection #9: Reflection on a Reflection: McCarthy Much?

*Note this reflection is in regards to Cavington’s reflection found here (<-- it's a link)

Dear Sir:

While your reflection is interesting, I have to disagree with most of it. First off, I would like to address your comment on preemptive engagement, “[The U.S. needs to pursue] a defense policy that utilizes “preemptive engagement” of international threats”. I am curious as to how you think this would, in the long run, benefit the United States. Due to the fact that we are currently involved in two wars, with number of dollars spent on them in the trillions, it is hard for me to understand why you would feel that starting wars preemptively would be advantageous for the United States. From where I stand, starting more wars would only increase the U.S.’s debt and place more strain on our economy. I also think that we need to go back fifty years, as American’s we used to pride ourselves on being the country that did not start wars but ended them. We may have provoked wars, but we never actually started one until the George W. Bush’s terms as president. Because of the fact that we did engage in a preemptive war by invading Iraq, our international image was tarnished. Why would we continue to perpetuate this negative image of ourselves on the international level? The final comment on this portion of your post is the idea of how the overall American population would feel about utilizing this strategy. Do you feel that the general public would be for or against the continuation of war waging by the United States? Personally, after ten years of continual war, I’m ready for it to be over and so is the majority of America. I would also argue that we’ll soon face a post-Vietnam type of status where America will be very hesitant to engage in conflict again due to our involvement in two prolonged wars.

In regards to your comment on the need to increase defense spending I say to you, go to the public schools in any major metropolitan area, not the schools that are in the ritzy part of town, the schools that are in the “ghettos”. Look those struggling students who have text books from the ‘80s, no music programs, far to large class sizes and limited access to learning tools like online databases in the eye and tell them that we should continue to cut educational funding while increasing funding for fighting wars they have no connection to and may be completely unnecessary. Because we all know that when you increase funding to one thing, another things funding gets cut, I fear that, as it has happened in the past, funding for education would be cut. Money that is spent on increasing our military could easily go to education and the betterment of our nation through those means, peaceful means. Through an increase in education we, as a nation will benefit economically, socially as well as politically, why not utilize that knowledge for our benefit.

Finally, I reject your conclusion that by participating in international organizations like the United Nations, the United States would be losing any real freedoms except the freedom to wage war as we wish and in general be the nation that pushes other nations around. I find myself wondering what exactly you feel America would be losing by being a willing participant in international organizations that, if given enough backing by global powers like the U.S., would be better able to do what they were created to do. As opposed to pushing against institutions like the United Nations, I feel that it would be most advantageous to help them flourish and grow. I would also like to reject your insinuation that by becoming a member of international institutions we’ll suddenly become communist: “Take your pick right now, for we are on the precipice of a slippery slope, covered in the deep red hue of Marx’ blood.” By what means would the cooperation between the United States and the rest of the world in the forum of an international institution lead to communism in the United States. I hate to say it sir, but here you simply sound like McCarthy and we all know how history looks at him now…

In closing, I would like you, sir, to reflect on your reflection and see where these notions are coming from. Just as McCarthy spread fear, you do the same thing; your words are imbued with fear and threats. Scaring people into thinking or doing things is never advantageous and will inevitably come back to bite you in the ass. So, my dear sir, think on those words and I look forward to your response and what I’m sure will become a continuous thread of comments.

Sincerely,

Sarah Casey