> > ...I am curious if you feel it would be correct for the US to simply remove the Taliban by force...
> >
> > It is my understanding that the Taliban took control of the government by force and is in no way representative of the people there. Certainly this makes it more than a religious matter.
>
> I do think it would be appropriate for the U.S. to remove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan by force, yes. However, I'm not so sure it wouldn't be perceived as a religious matter, or at least sold to the people by extremists as a religious matter, even though it clearly isn't. No matter what statements we make about our reasons, some will always see it as, "The United States is forcibly taking out of power these people that want to set up an Islam nation." We are not loved in the middle East, and we are feared for our power besides. Using it in this way would, I'm sure, start all kinds of nastiness. How much, I don't know. Whether it is right to remove the Taliban from power anyway, I do not know. Sometimes I'm glad I'm not in charge.

If we did send in troops as the United States of America -- or even advocated such measures in the United Nations for them to send in the Peacekeepers or to organized a multi-national force -- it would be seen by many in the Arab world as "The United States is forcibly taking out of power these people that want to set up an Islam nation." To do so would openly invite suicide bombers to attend the New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square, the Super Bowl, or opening day at Disneyland. The inevitable retaliation and the further damage of the US in the eyes of foreign powers is one of the reasons why we should not remove the Taliban -- or any other national government we disagree with -- from power.

The other reason is this:

Who the hell made the United States of America the world's police force?

Sure, we Americans generally like our form of government. We think it's the best country on this planet. What gives us the right to impose our morals on a foreign power?

We say, "We don't like the people who are ruling Nation X and want to remove them from power." Others in the United Nations agree. The UN organizes a force to remove Nation X's rulers from power; the US dedicates troops, the other nations dedicate troops. That's how it should work.

Or: The rightful rulers of the nation formally request military aid from the US (and other nations). The US rolls in and restores the rightful rulers. That's how it should work.

-Faux Pas