War, what is it meant for?
The question is relevant as the U.S. considers what action to take in support of rebels in Libya.
Given the U.S. experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is unsurprising that many Americans have grown skeptical about further intervention in conflicts abroad. Like the Vietnam War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have proved long, costly and not terribly successful, and have left some Americans with a sense that their country has neither the resolve nor — despite its overwhelming military superiority — the power necessary to achieve its aims. Some go beyond that to say that the United States lacks the moral authority to be the world’s policeman.