Federal Government

Throughout American history, a great debate has raged over the responsibility and the legality of American intervention in the affairs of other nations. From the Barbary States conflict through the North Korean crisis of 2017/18, Americans have had to carefully balance the desire to aid others against the long-term needs of their own nation. American domestic opinion often shifts considerably in the aftermath of foreign interventions – in favor of them after successful interventions such as the humanitarian aid to victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and earthquake, against them following unsuccessful interventions such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (which have still not ended).

Your assignment is to read two different views on intervention, one a speech by Senator Rand Paul offering a critique of intervention and a suggestion that we return to a policy of non-interventionism, the other a short article in favor of interventionism compiled by the United States Council on Foreign Relations. After you have read both, prepare a short, (400 – 550 words) two-page summary. You will want to summarize the position of Senator Paul and the position of the CFR, then highlight what the differences between them are. A well-written summary that highlights each side’s major points and disagreements will earn 3 bonus percentage points toward your final grade. Less well-written summaries may earn 2, 1, or, for particularly poor summaries, 0 points.

Here are the links to the two items: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/full-text-rand-pauls-speech-on-containment-and-radical-islam/article/2520731

and https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/dilemma-humanitarian-intervention