swatting at flies

 I see where Biden ordered a drone strike on Iranian forces. It was in retaliation to their attack on an American military base in Syria. Justified certainly. It was carried out by a drone(s). Not the first time and I'm certain not the last. I question if we need standing troops in Syria at all. Really do we need a standing army? Will any war be fought in such a manner in the future? I can't see troops massing across the battlefield from each other. Why do that when you can send a drone? Shouldn't war be as safe as possible? The objective in war is exactly what General George Patton said. It isn't to die for your country but to have the other poor bastard die for his. This nation started with a militia; it had no standing army. The truth is the founding fathers were a bit leery of any standing armies. That was the primary reason behind the second amendment. When only the army is armed, the government can be dangerous. That can be seen throughout European history. The purpose of a militia or army is to defend the nation against their enemies. That is the reason for them, although they have always been used for other purposes, like gaining territory, resources and manpower, always for the gain of those in position of power within that government. Emperor, King, President, it makes little difference. 

 Today we have a standing army all over the world! Not just within our borders anymore, we keep a military presence on every continent with the exception of Antartica. In fact, we have about four hundred military bases on those other continents. The explanation is that we are supporting our allies, keeping the peace. We have 60,000 troops in Germany! For total number of troops, we rank #7 on the list. Germany isn't in the top ten. It ranks #25 with a total of 180,00 members. We have a full 1/3 of that number there! Is it any wonder the size of our military budget? It is about 778 billion dollars. If we just brought all our troops home, inside our borders where it really belongs, that budget would certainly be a lot less. But do we really need 1.3 million active duty servicepeople. Are we ever going to field a ground force in the thousands? I think it is highly unlikely. Drones, missiles, and other autonomous means will be deployed. 

 The one big question in all of this is whether our complete destructive force will be used. If attacked, will we use nuclear, biological or chemical means? It's the same ethical question Truman faced. We all know what was ordered. It is still being debated today. Did it actually save lives, shorten the war and was therefore justified, even merciful? Our capabilities today are light years advanced from then. Those bombs are like firecrackers compared to the destructive force of our weapons today. We have had many meetings with other nations since, attempting to limit that, to prevent the spread of all that. Does anyone really believe anyone is going to voluntarily make themselves weaker? The truth is, it only takes one! So, what is the purpose of our standing armies today? Are they to simply engage in limited warfare? To act like a small police force to the world? Are they to serve as sentries? To just keep an eye on things so to speak. 

 Of course, I realize that we are not a nation alone. It's a big world and we need each other. It is necessary to project our power lest others think we are weak. This has to be done without provocation to the other nations. Diplomatic relations are what that is called. Walk softly but carry a big stick! Theodore Roosevelt used that as his policy. He was a member of the Republican party. The ethical question, the dilemma is, do you use that stick! What's the point in having it, if you don't intend on using it. The hope is that it acts as a deterrent. This local drone strike is like swatting at flies. It eliminates a few but doesn't solve the problem. What to solve the problem once and for all? Destroy the source. It's that simple. 

 It seems like the purpose of all these military bases around the globe are to swat at the flies. They are a source of annoyance, no doubt about that. But we can't simply eliminate the species either. Even flies serve a purpose. Should we use a bigger fly swatter? Yes, same old question isn't it.