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"Class, it’s graduation time."
In this case, our Class is the many geo-political and economic Treaty venues that need to graduate into a modern system of Monroe doctrine-like investment in managing their own vital interests.

We continue to find/manufacture/accede to excuses for war-like operations far removed from strategic national interests. Perhaps not removed from exercising the assumed motivations of American Exceptionalism, but, nevertheless a far cry from the circumstances envisioned as necessary for the Declaration of War(s) anticipated by our Founding Fathers. Perhaps President Monroe didn’t see a future in which the interests of the United States would extend beyond the geo-political necessities of the time. But he did see that “adventuring” beyond the need for border and hemisphere security was fraught with risks. The fact is that America can’t depend on Europe or other countries in the Middle East and Far East to manage their own “back yard” interests. They are still too nationalistic, too envious of territory and resources of other neighboring or nearby states to adopt peaceful co-existence policies. I agree with a recent writer’s main point of needing a Declaration of War to most properly focus our motivations and resources; to assume the mantle of leadership that other, lazy governments thrust on us anyhow, knowing that we will spend our “treasures” in pursuit of “resolution,” if not freedom, while they are willing to minimally participate, and grudgingly at that. The Libyan operation, however, may give pause and develop hope that maybe, just maybe, other umbrella organizations and treaty partners have grown up and will assume responsibilities that they have heretofore avoided. That would mark a significant turning point in modern politics and foreign relations. Our direction and focus on American foreign policy in the twenty-first century should be supporting and promoting leadership of other geo-political groups that operate to further their mutual interests in their own areas. Getting European, Middle Eastern, Far Eastern, African and South American geograhically-focused areas of interest operating to promote trade, representative government and economic advancement is a big job, and no country has more experience or is better suited to the task than the U.S. Here’s hoping-cautiously, with skepticism.