Introduction
America’s attitude with regard to war is quite hard to understand. For many years, the country had been reluctant to engage in war intervention measures among warring nations. In the past, the United States has endeavored to cultivate peace with virtually every other nation. On the other hand, going back to history, many American soldiers have been reported to participate in different wars. The country is also rated among those that have lost numerous soldiers to war. It is as a result of such contradicting facts that it becomes had to understand the country’s position concerning. In light of this, this research paper intends to examine sources of evidence that depict the United States as a peaceful nation as well as a country that supports war. The paper also examines the country’s paradoxical attitude towards war.
Reasons why Americans consider themselves essentially peaceful
Since the end of the Second World War, America has experienced rapid economic growth. The country is among those that have undergone a great transformation with respect to technological and economic development. Increased participation of the country in global trade has made the country acquire numerous allies. A Cordial relationship with its allies is one of the factors that has made the country appear to be peaceful. Unlike other countries that have experienced numerous civil conflicts as well as inter-state conflicts, America has remained peaceful both internally and with other nations (Adams, 2007, para. 2). As a result, the country has experienced an increased expansion in trade with other countries more than ever before. As many countries struggled to improve their economic growth, they attempted to embrace the American system of economic development. Consequently, such countries identify with them since most of them attempt to emulate their policies. This makes them appear to be peaceful.
Another reason why the Americans can be considered to be peaceful is the support the nation’s political position is accorded by many countries around the world. In most cases, conflicts among nations emerge due to differences in political ideas. Being a politically stable nation, most countries supported and adopted its political ideologies. This way they extended peace to other nations. By developing a superior military system, The United States of America has also managed to address any fears of military attack by other nations. Therefore, no country has dared to engage the country in war since most of the other nations around the world have a weaker military system. This has further developed the notion that the nation is peaceful. (Adams, 2007, para. 4).
Evidence that shows America as warlike
Despite the country being reluctant in intervening in interstates conflicts in the past, there are various actions that the country has recently engaged in that have painted it to be a war-liking nation. In the recent past, the country has enormously engaged its people in military recruitment. Numerous Americans have been recruited into the country’s military. A country that does not support war is not likely to recruit massive soldiers into its military. Such actions could only indicate that America has a more belligerent agenda compared to other nations. Over the past decade, the country has sent several of its soldiers to fight in various countries. In their attempt to pacify the warring factions American soldiers have been implicated in the deaths of many people in foreign lands. For instance, the manner in which America has handled Iraq, as well as Afghanistan conflicts, makes the country appear to be war-like (Donnelly, 2000, para. 1-4). The country has indeed received a lot of criticism from other countries for getting involved in such conflicts.
America’s paradoxical hate-love attitude towards war
From the discussion above, it is extremely difficult to understand America’s position with respect to war. There are instances when the country has vehemently criticized and opposed war between various countries while in other cases, the country has actually participated in the war in other nations. According to history, during the First World War, the military in the US was reluctant in engaging in war but instead opted for a neutral position. It remained neutral for some time until it was provoked by Germany. Despite the country ending up participating in the First World War, America did not immediately get involved in the Second World War (Hoffmann, 2008, pp. 34-42). At first, the country’s military was only engaged in the supply of weapons until it was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. The stand that the American military took during the First and Second World War was a clear reflection of the depth to which the country loathed war. The country is also known to have greatly criticized the development of nuclear weapons to be used by the military during the war. Its position for a long time had been that no country should be allowed to develop and test nuclear weapons. As a result, its military system was not trained on the use and development of nuclear weapons. For many years, the country struggled to stop other countries from developing nuclear weapons. This went on until it found out that it was not in a position to stop these countries from producing nuclear weapons. As a result, America engaged in the development of nuclear weapons and trained its military on the use of such weapons. Despite the stability associated with this nation, there have been instances where its military has been found to participate in inter-state war. America has taken it as its responsibility to ensure that there is peace across the globe. In return, its military has participated in the war in a bid to restore peace and tranquility in several nations. Involvement of the country in foreign conflicts has made it appear like war. America’s involvement in Iraq conflicts in an attempt to restore peace in the country resulted in the death and suffering of numerous innocent people. In addition, America has also been found to get into conflict with various countries such as North Korea and Afghanistan. The presence of the American military in these countries has made the country appear to like war (Waller, 2003, para. 2-4).
Conclusion
Most countries have criticized America for getting involved in the affairs of other countries and especially when they are faced with internal conflicts. Some of these countries have blamed America for compounding the conflicts within their countries. They claim that America has a hidden interest in them. For this reason, America has been taken with a lot of contempt by such countries. Understanding America’s stand when it comes to war can facilitate the understanding of its interests. This can also help in changing some of the negative attitudes that some countries have against America. Understanding the relationship between its military institutions can as well help in understanding its future plans in strengthening its military.
Reference
Adams, G. (2007). The U.S. military’s growing role in foreign policy. Web.
Donnelly, T. (2000). Rebuilding America’s Defenses; Strategy, forces and resources for a new century. Web.
Hoffmann, K. (2008). American Foreign Policy Goals in Iraq: An Analysis of the Long Term Consequences of the Iraq War. Public affairs Journal, pp. 34-42.
Waller, J.M. (2003).High-tech tools of war: U.S. military technology is more than a decade ahead of every other country’s and is advancing so quickly that the rest of the world’s forces might never catch up. Web.