Mockery is contained in the phrase military adventurism. Even though it is being increasingly used, it has been applied in different contexts. The phrase has portrayed a variety of cases where military forces have been used. A habit of invading other countries has been ascribed to such conduct. It has also been used to describe interventions falling short of full military engagement. Domestic coups are considered examples of such behavior as well.
During the Presidential campaign in 2012 Governor Rick Perry of Texas used this term and later explained he meant using force where no vital interests were at stake. President Yoweri Museveni, in his address to the heads of states during the Non Aligned Movement summit, criticized the adventurist aggression of western countries. He said this aggression was to reimpose hegemony over developing countries. In Ghana it this expression was used to describe a history of coups.
This type of activity does not produce positive results and leads to further problems. It can even seem with hindsight to be a waste. Consider how friendly the United States is with Vietnam today. Yet a few decades and Presidents ago there was a long war fought between these two countries. Vietnamese are still dying from the effects of Agent Orange used to defoliate trees in the course of this battle. Generations have been harmed by the use of this poison.
The United States and Russia are cordial today, but they were engaged in a Cold War that commenced soon after the termination of World War II. To get the Soviets out of Afghanistan, the Americans used proxy warriors, which included Islamic fundamentalists who later formed Al Qaeda and turned their sights on the United States instead. Now the country is engaged in a growing effort against Islamic militants.
In the absence of this development, the world would have been a better place. The spreading toxin of Al Qaeda and its cohorts is endangering millions of people. American lives have been wasted and the country has been insecure. More recent interventions have emboldened Al Qaeda and added to its ranks. More countries have become unstable and extremists are shredding their peaceful existence.
The latest development is the exposure of surveillance on a grand scale undertaken to catch terrorists. There has been dismay and surprise and the reputation of the country has been tarnished. People have wondered how the cherished ideals contained in the Bill of Rights have been disregarded to catch a few terrorists. America has paid dearly for an action that with hindsight appears to not have been needed any way.
As coups have delayed institution building affected countries have a reason to view them in a negative light. African countries, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt have experienced such interference several times. Militaries are not meant to govern as history demonstrates time and again. The scars can remain as a new documentary about Indonesia reveals.
Military adventurism is a phrase that shows disrespect for the eagerness of military interventions. As the world becomes an increasingly troubled place it is a fitting description for the type of action that often causes needless harm. Peaceful solutions are more constructive in the long run.
During the Presidential campaign in 2012 Governor Rick Perry of Texas used this term and later explained he meant using force where no vital interests were at stake. President Yoweri Museveni, in his address to the heads of states during the Non Aligned Movement summit, criticized the adventurist aggression of western countries. He said this aggression was to reimpose hegemony over developing countries. In Ghana it this expression was used to describe a history of coups.
This type of activity does not produce positive results and leads to further problems. It can even seem with hindsight to be a waste. Consider how friendly the United States is with Vietnam today. Yet a few decades and Presidents ago there was a long war fought between these two countries. Vietnamese are still dying from the effects of Agent Orange used to defoliate trees in the course of this battle. Generations have been harmed by the use of this poison.
The United States and Russia are cordial today, but they were engaged in a Cold War that commenced soon after the termination of World War II. To get the Soviets out of Afghanistan, the Americans used proxy warriors, which included Islamic fundamentalists who later formed Al Qaeda and turned their sights on the United States instead. Now the country is engaged in a growing effort against Islamic militants.
In the absence of this development, the world would have been a better place. The spreading toxin of Al Qaeda and its cohorts is endangering millions of people. American lives have been wasted and the country has been insecure. More recent interventions have emboldened Al Qaeda and added to its ranks. More countries have become unstable and extremists are shredding their peaceful existence.
The latest development is the exposure of surveillance on a grand scale undertaken to catch terrorists. There has been dismay and surprise and the reputation of the country has been tarnished. People have wondered how the cherished ideals contained in the Bill of Rights have been disregarded to catch a few terrorists. America has paid dearly for an action that with hindsight appears to not have been needed any way.
As coups have delayed institution building affected countries have a reason to view them in a negative light. African countries, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt have experienced such interference several times. Militaries are not meant to govern as history demonstrates time and again. The scars can remain as a new documentary about Indonesia reveals.
Military adventurism is a phrase that shows disrespect for the eagerness of military interventions. As the world becomes an increasingly troubled place it is a fitting description for the type of action that often causes needless harm. Peaceful solutions are more constructive in the long run.
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