Thread by @Robert_E_Kelly

THREAD: Post-'War on Terror' Restraint

If the Afghan withdrawal & 20th anniversary of 9/11 can wind-down our big foot-print 'war on terror' (for a more measured counter-terrorism), here is a quick case for greater restraint:

1. Strategic: Over-Extension

A well-known problem

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https://twitter.com/Robert_E_Kelly/status/1435774925265006597

of empires/hegemonies is too many commitments and too few resources. We should, obviously, avoid such overstretch, & given rising China, US commitments in the Middle East particularly (Afghanistan, e.g.) should be re-considered

2. Domestic/Democratic: Blowback Militarization

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The post-9/11 militarization of US foreign policy has come home: in the torture debate (yes, we actually 'debated' torture), domestic surveillance, endemic governmental secrecy, near reverence on military and police issues (just watch Fox for 5 minutes),and the militarization/

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'securitization' of the culture (endless war on terror movies/TV/video games, like 24, Call of Duty, Tom Clancy everything, cosplaying militias)

3. Liberal/Humanitarian: Too Much Violence in US Foreign Policy

US soft power relies on our reputation for care in the use of

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force, that we only use it as a last resort. We should worry about the collateral damage of the drone war, e.g., because we're Americans and it's the right thing to do. When Ted Cruz or Trump tell you we should 'bomb the s*** out of them,' they don't understand why we are not

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a loathed dictatorship like the USSR was.

Restraint/retrenchment doesn't mean isolation. Diplomacy, trade, aid, and participation in international organizations are all tools we can still use and remain engaged. We should rediscover those methods

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