The Policemen of the World
Thesis
The involvement of the United States (US)military in the conflicts of other nations has been both beneficial and devastating for the citizens of the respective nations, acclaiming both positive and negative reactions from local and international observers.
Introduction
The United States (U.S.) became a dominant force in the world by the mid of the 20th century. Essentially, its involvement in the various high profile international affairs started as early as 1865. The country has since been taking part in global relations by aiding to solve conflicts across the planet. It is this role, among others, that has made the U.S. to be perceived a superpower and enabled it to earn the “Policemen of the World” title. The U.S.`s military involvement the conflicts abroad has had both negative and positive impacts for the respective nations and thus, achieved varied reactions from international as well as local observers.
U.S. Military International Events
Occupation of Afghanistan
The U.S. deployed its troops in Afghanistan to finish the Taliban regime (Information Resource Center, 2009). According to Information Resource Center (2009), it was stated that “The United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom to end the ability of the Taliban regime” (p.16). The war had devastated the Afghanistan population for the better part of the 21st century. As stated by Torreon (2017), “On December 13, 2013, the Department of Defense identified five units to deploy as part of the upcoming rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan and sent them to the country” (p. 29). One of the reasons that the U.S. made this choice was to protect the weak individuals such as women and children who were the main victims of the war. At the same time, the military taught the females how to defend themselves best in order to be protected from abuse and increase their chances of survival. When America decided to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, the majority of the citizens did not like that idea because they thought that the situation in the country would change from being poor to terrible. The U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, therefore, had a positive impact on the citizens of the country.
Occupation of Afghanistan
In 2001, the U.S. president of that time, George Bush, decided to send military troops into Iraq with the intention of fighting the terrorism. However, by 2003, a civil war in Iraq started, and some parties pinned it on the United State’s invasion of the country, which they considered to be one of the worst strategies. The opponents of American intervention considered it a wrong move because the conflict ended up affecting the citizens of Iraq negatively, especially economically. In addition, those critics were unhappy with the U.S. military invasion because they viewed its efforts towards trying to end the war as ineffective and as such that only served to worsen the situations of regular people. Nonetheless, the negative attitude of some factions towards the United States’ involvement in the Iraq war did not stop it as the country continued with its mission and finally won. In the year 2012, the U.S. President of that time, Barrack Obama, mentioned that the war in Iraq had come to an end. According to the Department of Defense (2012), the president namely stated, “We have responsibly ended the war in Iraq, including the delivery of justice to Osama bin Laden” (p. 1). To date, despite the achievements of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, some feel that the situation would not have turned as deadly as it did when the United States involved itself in the conflict.
Significant Factors that have Fostered America’s Position of a Superpower Policeman
The best way to understand the reasons that triggered the American status of a superpower policeman is by looking at some historical events. In essence, the war between U.S. and Spain was the starting point of the country gaining its power. The conflict enabled the nation to expand its economic influence, thus, making it a global force. After the Second World War, the U.S. began to rebuild Europe after Germany was defeated and left helpless. Additionally, by signing several agreements and treaties, the U.S. gained more power across the Europe. The international documents brought about a peaceful coexistence that further strengthened the U.S. and enabled it to be competitive in production. It managed to overcome the Cold War and become the only superpower. After that, the U.S. started to assume the peacekeeper role in the world. It has since made attempts to intervene in the Middle East and Somalia, which are the regions known for constant military activity and terrorism.
The Policing Role of America in International Events
The military strength and capability of the America have enabled it to take control of international affairs. Among those is formulating policies that ensure peaceful relations between nations. Moreover, the country has been on the forefront in ending terrorism by fighting extremist groups such as the Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The U.S. also took initiative of occupying Korea with the intention of compelling Russia to leave North Korea for it to gain full control of South Korea. The other parts that the U.S. has completed is going to Somalia to try to end the civil war in the country. The nation has also shown economic interest in nations, such as Libya, which has been struggling politically.
Incidences of U.S. policing
America has been involved in several international relations activities. Among them was the war between the North Vietnam and the South Vietnam in 1954-1975. Later, in 1991, it joined the Somalia civil war through the help of United Nations Peacekeeping Forces. Finally, according to the Information Resource Center (2009), “U.S. troops participated in the Bosnia Peacekeeping force (SFOR) and established a Dayton Accords with the intention of keeping peace in Bosnia” (p.17).
Conclusion
Different events in America’s history led to its emergence as a main superpower of the world. Such role of the United States resulted in it being branded “the Policemen of the World”. Essentially, its involvement in the international affairs has triggered both negative and positive responses from the different factions around the globe. Those nations that the U.S. has tried to help end the war and terrorism as well as bring peace alongside stability include Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, and Somalia among others. While the activities of the U.S. in these countries had some flaws, it cannot be refuted that they bore long-term positive outcomes for civilians, such as freeing them from oppression and servitude.
References
Information Resource Center. (2009, May 29). Historical timeline of US foreign policy. Retrieved from http://irosteveperry.pbworks.com/f/History%20of%20US%20Foreign%20Policy%202009%20IRC%20BARCELONA%20INFOPACK.pdf
The Department of Defense: The White House. (2012, Jan 3). Sustaining U.S global leadership: Priorities for U.S 21st century defense. Retrieved from http://archive.defense.gov/news/Defense_Strategic_Guidance.pdf
Torreon, S. (2017, Oct 12). Instances of the United States Armed Forces Abroad since 1798-2017. Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42738.pdf