American Responsibility

Scott Van Zandt
ENG 3

American Responsibility Case Study and Persuasive Argument
Should America Interfere with International Conflicts?

America needs to remove itself from international conflicts and instead focus on the millions of impoverished men, women and children in America. The American government has spent billions of dollars on war and foreign affairs, and yet there are 43.6 million poor people in America (Associated Press). America’s recent intervention in Libya has many people debating about whether this is the right choice for a country that is in such economic distress. Given the high poverty rate and high unemployment rate, choosing to use federal funds for an intervention that has nothing to do with America is irresponsible.
Currently the U.S. spends approximately $300 million dollars every day on the Afghanistan war. While the cost of the recent intervention in Libya has not been released, it is estimated that the initial strikes will costs between $400 million and $800 million, with the potential of and additional $30 million to $100 million per week in order to patrol the area (Drew). Currently, one in seven Americans are below the poverty line (Associated Press). To continue the intervention in Libya is economically irresponsible, because the more we spend on overseas conflicts, the more impoverished Americans will become.
Some critics may feel that America has a moral obligation to help fellow nations. While this is a noble claim, one must realize that America’s priority must be that of its citizens. The fact that our economy has plummeted, preventing us from caring for the sick, the poor and the elderly, makes it immoral for us to turn around and give support to others. The American government has a moral obligation to take care of its citizens. The Economy in Crisis states,
We are heading towards conditions that we don’t have the ways and means to cope with. If the present trends continue, war, debt, destruction and more lost lives,...