Nations of Eternal War...

By Shane Van Cleve

Most of you have probably heard about the start of war between Russia and Georgia. What should the United States do about it? Stay out. That's what. We should not be involved in other people's business. Our military was not made to fight for other countries. Our military was made to defend the United States of America. The founding fathers warned us about getting involved in other people's wars:

"I have ever deemed it fundamental for the United States never to take active part in the quarrels of Europe. Their political interests are entirely distinct from ours. Their mutual jealousies, their balance of power, their complicated alliances, their forms and principles of government, are all foreign to us. They are nations of eternal war. All their energies are expended in the destruction of the labor, property and lives of their people." ~Thomas Jefferson

"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations--entangling alliances with none, I deem [one of] the essential principles of our government, and consequently [one of] those which ought to shape its administration." ~Thomas Jefferson

"The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. Europe has a set of primary interests which to us have none; or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities. " ~George Washington

"...a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld.....Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake..." ~George Washington

The founding fathers warned us to not get involved in the wars and problems of Europe. But unfortunately, our leaders have forgotten their advice. We now have troops in over 130 countries around the world including Georgia.

You may have noticed that the founding fathers also said to have "alliances with none". Why did they say that? Just look at the World Wars. Take World War 1 for example. The murder of 1 man, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, let to a World War or the killings of 20 million people. Now I could justify finding and punishing the one who murdered him but a World War? How did that happen? It was because of alliances. Alliances say if you go to war, then I will go with you. Think of how many lives would have been saved if the war was only between Austria and Serbia. But because of the alliances, 20 million lives were lost.

Why then should we get involved in the conflict between Georgia and Russia? Let them settle the matter and let us concentrate on defending the United States. If we have all our troops in 130 countries around the world, who's going to defend us if an attack hits our homeland?

Let us stay out of the conflicts of Europe for they are "nations of eternal war".