Policy on Foreign Intervention
Re “Countering Isolationism in Congress,” Commentary, May 11: Sen. Joseph Biden’s polemic against “isolationism” is misdirected. According to my dictionary, isolationism is “a policy of national isolation by abstention from alliances and other international political and economic relations.” This means restrictions on travel, immigration and trade. It is not the same as noninterventionism--opposition to “governmental interference in . . . political affairs of another country.”
Biden exhibits lack of logic by his attacks on those who don’t see things his way. Would he apply the phrase “breathtaking superficiality” to the waste of taxpayer money, the deaths and injuries to U.S. military personnel and innocent civilians and the destruction of materiel that occur whenever we play world policeman?
In the absence of an outright attack on U.S. territory or a consistent terrorism campaign against U.S. citizens around the world, I would say that no national interest is served by intervening in the affairs of foreign lands.
JIM HALLORAN
Redondo Beach
*
Biden’s commentary further demonstrates the narrow bounds of debate concerning U.S. foreign policy. The straw oppositions that he constructs all assume American benevolence or that American interests are humanity’s interests.
Regarding our bombing of Serbia, what we had was a government fighting a war against a guerrilla separatist militia. In the process of fighting, the government killed many innocent civilians, caused many more people to flee and apparently didn’t care; it was probably a strategy of the war. Very similar events were occurring in Turkey and Colombia, and these wars remain today. But our government’s reaction is to bomb one government and provide weapons of war to the other governments, furthering the bloodshed and human rights abuses.
U.S. involvement in Southern Europe is about economic interests. Human rights and freedom have always taken a back seat, but they do offer great motives to falsely push on the public.
DAVID KELLY
Gardena