We should not leave our own land to stand upon foreign ground. This thesis is one that does not originate from Washington’s farewell address but comes from my own perspective that is rooted in the American constitutional tradition of avoiding a permanent standing army, rooted in the founders’ mistrust of large military forces due to their potential for corruption and tyranny. This principle is com

The Argument

We should not leave our own land to stand upon foreign ground. This thesis is one that does not originate from Washington’s farewell address but comes from my own perspective that is rooted in the American constitutional tradition of avoiding a permanent standing army, rooted in the founders’ mistrust of large military forces due to their potential for corruption and tyranny. This principle is compromised when the United States establishes and maintains standing armies in other nations. The presence of these forces can foster dependency, create local resentment, and entangle the U.S. in foreign conflicts, undermining its commitment to a limited and controlled military establishment. Additionally, the corruptive influences that the founders feared domestically are merely transplanted abroad, perpetuating cycles of instability and erosion of the host nation’s sovereignty, which ultimately conflicts with the foundational values of American constitutionalism. Part V How Should We Ensure These Foreign Mischiefs Are Minimized? The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must. To be powerful, one must be willing to wield that power with justice and integrity. —Thucydides