Police of the World
Joel Terry
Doctor Alan Rogers
Contemporary U.S. History – HIS 105
Strayer University - Lithonia Campus June 15, 2014

Police of the World

Since gaining independence from the British in 1776, the United States foreign policy over the years has gone from expansionist to isolationism to defending democracy. With the responsibility of defending democratic rights for those who cannot defend themselves, the United States in my opinion has taken on the role of “policeman of the world.” This role became more evident with the use of U.S. military force in international incidents like U.S. intervention in the 2011 Libyan Civil War to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and U.S. involvement in the 2011 Yemeni Civil War protesting the leadership of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Despite the United States hailed, as a defender of democracy by some, their actions are usually not selfless. In both situations, protecting United States interests was a major factor. Both Libya and Yemen are hot beds for terrorist activity by radical groups like al-Qaeda. The United States monitors the activities of these groups in an effort to intercept information to thwart acts of terrorism, particularly against Americans. Leadership in these vulnerable countries is of great interest to the United States because some regimes are sympathetic to these militant groups. A lack of clear leadership in these countries also poses a threat to U.S. interests because a lapse in leadership can lead to militant groups seizing control.

References

Blackhall, S., & Blundell, N. (2011). Global Police In The Visual Enyclopedia of Us History and Culures (pp. 134-144). London: PRC Publishing Limited.

Morse, J. R. (2012). The World Police. Atlantic