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Is even the discussion of an expansion of the welfare state out of bounds for the Free to Choose or Road to Serfodom crowds? Yes, of course there are times when military action is necessary. And of course there are times when the use of government power is necessary domestically. But just as we should ask "To what end?" when liberals request big government at home, we should do so when humanitarian Gersonite conservatives do so abroad. Why should this project be undertaken above all others? What might the unintended consequences be? What does this have to do with the defense of the United States? And just as defenders of higher taxes ought to pay their own voluntary surtax, the simple moral decision-makers should sometimes make their own decisions instead of sending other people to shoot and be shot at for their humanitarian instincts. Americans are understandably tired of our current foreign policy adventures. At the very least, those who want to expand the scope of our gunboat generosity ought to be less tiresome.

topics:
Taxes, Foreign Policy, Military