Quote:
Originally Posted by RainMaker
A proxy war puts us much closer to a full out war than just sitting out this regional conflict we have no stakes in.
|
You don't always get to choose when you fight and when you don't. Your assessment is exceptionally unrealistic when you're dealing with a generational and philosophical enemy to the country. It demonstrates incredible naivete.
You can sit in corner all day long while a bully stomps around, and hope that he doesn't bother you. But once he's taken the field, what is left for you but to either fight against all odds or submit? In our case, we recognize the opportunity early on and we deny him any quarter, and control the playing field. It protects national interest, and it protects the philosophical stance we hold as a country that the rest of the world watches.
Power is more than military, it's control of the sphere of influence. Watching a fledgling, potential ally get overwhelmed by this enemy will not inspire the world to our cause. That is more power than what can be exerted on the battlefield. That is why a proxy war is happening and should happen.