In his blog post on U.S. foreign policy, Allen makes a good argument. The United States government must be very selective when it comes to intervening in the affairs of other countries, as such actions can have unfavorable results and cost this country a great deal. There is no quick or easy way out of the conflict in Iraq, for example, and we must be careful to avoid such situations in the future when there is no urgent need for them.
I agree that we should not try to change other countries' forms of government to something more favorable to us, by military or even financial means. These endeavors can lead to instability and violence, and do not necessarily have the intended outcome. Chilean president Salvador Allende, a socialist, was overthrown (after the U.S. government exerted an effort to create economic conditions favorable to a coup). As a result, Chile was taken over by Augusto Pinochet, under whose regime thousands were reportedly killed.
We cannot afford to go about dispensing help wherever there is a problem, particularly in light of our present financial troubles. However, there are sometimes circumstances that require us to get involved, whether militarily or financially. If there is a crisis that a country cannot deal with alone, the United States has a responsibility as a world power to provide aid.
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