American Foreign Policy in a Nutshell

America goes into Iraq and Afghanistan, turns these countries upside down, then explains that it would be irresponsible to leave them topsy-turvy, but as long as America stays there, these countries will remain messed up. America causes bombs to explode, then insists that it has to stay put until these bombs stop exploding, but America is the bomb! Time and time again, America has set the fire, then shows up as a volunteer firefighter. Such is the burden of being a world leader in freedom, democracy and weapon sales.
~ from Sentimental Mass Murder by Linh Dinh ~

Typically, I don't quote from the same article or essay in more than one post -- I pulled a quote from Dinh's column for a post last night -- but I made an exception in this case.

I think Dinh has well illustrated the Catch-22 mentality of US foreign policy. We create the circumstances and situations that we can't seem to extricate ourselves from and use this inability to get out cleanly as the rationale for why we must stay on.

From a Taoist perspective, it is our knowing and continued usage of cunning and conniving that serves particular special interests at the expense of the countries we blow up and our own domestic situation as well. As long as we refuse to hold our elected leaders accountable for their immoral behavior -- a behavior performed in our name -- nothing will change.

In truth, the onus is on us, the people of the United States of America. The question is: Do we really care?