Quote Originally Posted by wm View Post
Please make the case for the necessity/causal linkage to American national self interest alleged in this post. The argument smacks of the same kind of "logic" that produced the domino theory as a justification for American involvement in SE Asia.

Propping up a political entity that is unable to gain support (and, therefore, legitimacy) from the people that entity was intended to serve seems like a guaranteed way to keep the flames of discontent burning and probably spreading to other polities with nascent legitimacy issues.

I suggest a review of a lesson to be learned from the prisoner's dilemma. It shows quite clearly that acting on a "lop-sided" perception of what is most in one's self interest turns out to yield what is least in one's self interest.
Who develops or determines decisions about how failed is failed enough that the international community has to act. Also in regard to determining why we should or shouldn't act I would think it should be just as important to identify why we shouldn't and be sure and provide best assessments of what that lack of action has brought about historically.

Finally lets not forget to look at those elsewhere who choose to act in a manner which they see beneficial to their own agendas and figure out if the ultimate question isn't really, Is one form of society better than another, If so which.

I think we could probably fill volumes with just these being discussed but all in all they seem to be the main points of contention throughout most of history.