brewer wrote: Why exactly did you think the US military should be the world's arbiter and police force, rather then simply protecting the US?

Well, I agreed with Ron Paul's policies except for his constant admonition against becoming the police force of the world.

In life, there are always bullies and always someone who stands up to the bullies. You've seen this played out countless times in the schoolyard. Sorry to say, the United States is the country other countries turn to when they're being bullied. If it wasn't that the rest of the world perceives America to be their only hope against brutal dictatorships, there would be many more brutal dictatorships in the world and those dictatorships would eventually set sail for our shores. That's just the nature of evil.