PWG Writers Archive

What is America's Role in the World?

America Takes a Lesson from the Roman Empire

Augustus Caesar was the founder of the Roman Empire and was its first Emperor. After many wars resulting in the expansion of the Roman Empire, Augustus stood overlooking the glory that was Rome under his leadership. His reign initiated the era of Roman peace known as the Pax Romana. The wars had been bloody and no quarter shown to neither the enemy nor their people as Rome sprawled across the known world. They paid for their attacks upon Rome with their lands, their blood and that of their people. The realization that followed was the cold resignation that they were now standing on land owned by the Empire of Rome. 

By this opening, I am not advocating total world domination and the establishment of an American Empire. But neither do I pretend there is any other way to achieve lasting stability in the world. We have fought wars long enough in our time upon this earth to know the natural laws of warfare. You can not invade a nation, cripple it, leave its resources intact and then leave. Within your lifetime, you will see that nation rise up and threaten you again and with more vengeance than before. In the act of your good intent you have made the deaths of those that fought your war in vain. And you place those that must now return to fight the enemy in harm’s way. 

Germany was left with its sovereignty intact after WWI. The world watched as it rebuilt itself into a superpower that threatened every country around it. Everyone that had fought and died to put Germany down in WWI had died in vain. Everyone that died in WWII putting Hitler's Germany down for the second time died needlessly. Again, I am not advocating war in any form. I'm simply clarifying that although our perception of war may change, the nature of war does not. 

History has shown us that war is a Pandora's Box that now opened will plague man throughout his existence until either one of two things take place: The total conquest and continuing control of all nations at war by the strongest power lasting until no one alive remembers war; Or the mutual agreement of peace by all nations as a result of the imminent threat of extinction. For America, one or the other is certain in our future. Left to continue as it is, war is certain to spread until it threatens mankind's existence. As history repeats itself, America's role should only be as a negotiator for peace once the warring nations have exhausted themselves fighting. 

By all means our efforts should be in building our defenses for self preservation but not as a world police force. This has proven costly and counter productive in every scenario since the Vietnam War. The images and reports that return to us from these regions are heart breaking and we feel we should do something. But until they want peace for themselves, there is nothing realistic that can be done.

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Previously Posted on FullofKnowlege.com

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