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Honestly i have no idea where to begin. I'll begin with a quote from you yourself, "The concept of the "World Police" is a creed of all our military arms, what I was schooled as a kid; "To protect and defend those not able to protect and defend themselves", it may seem to infer national defense, perhaps extend to 'ally' by treaty, but is implied beyond political and cultural borders as a philosophy". Really? You honestly think that it is the duty of every American solider to go and protect "those that cannot protect themselves?" Sounds to me like your volunteering a lot of good American troops to do some idealistic bullsh*t that they do not want to do. Have you spoken to a lot of vets who are chomping at the bit to go help the next sad case of international injustice? My whole family is career military, and i know for a fact that their loyalty is to their country and its citizens, everyone else is on their own. A soldiers duty is to HIS/HER country, no one elses. What you were taught in school is what YOU were taught in school, and therefore must apply to everyone else right? Every must share your idealistic viewpoint of the American Military's mission throughout the world. Oh, and by your definition, shouldn't we be doing something about the situation in Darfur other than just taking a stance? Shouldn't we have been doing something when all those poor Chinese citizens were starving to death; they still are by the way, someone call the Marines, we need to get food to them stat! Please, these are grand idealistic goals being boasted about by someone who wont have to put the work in to actually accomplish it, or be held responsible when it blows up in their face. I also love how you generalize and say that every American thinks and I quote, "Hey, I can't be concerned with all this Iran election crap, I'm at risk of losing my job and home. My SUV can't roll on chump change. Kids need to go to Power Cheer. Super Bowl is seven months away. I need that Samsung 52 inch by then". First of all, i worked 2 jobs, putting in 60+ hours a week to PUT MYSELF through college. I live in a crappy studio apartment, i don't own a damn 52 inch TV and my truck is 13 years old, and oh by the way, i graduated with honors with two degrees in 4 years, but i guess that's only because my daddy paid for all my stuff so i could just focus on studying right? Don't even for one second try and generalize the American public as some fat cat lazy bums, when in fact it is quite the opposite. Those concerns over losing a job; if you don't believe that one shouldn't be concerned about losing their job you must be unstable, we're talking about peoples lives and the lives of their children here for Christ sake. America already gives out billions upon billions of dollars annually in foreign aid, much of that money goes to prop up the economies of several countries, so i don't think we're slouching any in helping out at all. Oh, and that "bigger picture" I'm missing out on, I'm actually not. If you'd stop and think about it, the top reason the radical Muslim population hates the west, especially America, is because we've intruded on what they think is holy Muslim ground. Because we are involved in the affair of Islamic countries, that's why that doomsday dirty bomb scenario will happen, not because we finally keep our nose out of someone elses business. But i guess this 22 year old college grad is too young to know anything about the world at all, its not like I'm getting my masters in global politics or anything.

Demsey, the quotations around legitimate were there for a purpose . I agree with you that the elections are not indeed legitimate, but in fact a blatant abuse of the power structure to keep Iran as a radical Islamic 2nd world country. However, why does America care so much? Why should we care? Is it because Iran has oil? If that were the case I'd say that we've already quenched our thirst in the sands of Iraq. Is it because they have the capability to produce a nuclear weapon? If that is the case i would ask for the proof you've obtained, because I, along with a lot of the American public do not wish to engage in a record setting 3rd war over the illusion of weapons of mass destruction; i think we've all learned our lesson about those pesky wmds! I agree with you that what is happening in Iran is nothing like what happened during the 2000 election here in the States, that wasn't the point I was trying to make. I was trying to present the fact that we would not be too thrilled if the EU started to sniff around the US's business and tried to make sense of it all for us. That's not their job, the rest of the world respected the United States of America's sovereignty as a nation able to make its own decisions, and i feel we owe the same to the rest of the world. The election debacle is the business of Iran, and Iran alone. The only reason we're hearing about it is because we live in a time with instant reporting, global news networks, the internet, ect. We as a free society must allow other countries to decide who their leaders are. The election was tainted, i agree, but what do you want the US or anyone else to do about it? Storm the country with columns of tanks all the way to Tehran and demand a recount? Maybe its time the Iranian's take a page out of the French, Nazi, and Bolshevik revolutions which happened due to grass root uprisings which eventually caught enough fire to become successful for each individual group. (Disclaimer: i do not endorse any said groups personally, just merely giving context) I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here but why do people want America to be the world's police department? Lets fix health care, get out of the recession, create jobs and stop outsourcing the ones we have, bring our troops home from a pointless war in Iraq and send them to a meaningful war in Afghanistan, and lay the hell low for awhile. Life isn't one big d*ck measuring contest, so lets stop trying to prove to the rest of the world that ours is the biggest and stick to our own business. The Obama attacks are really unfounded as well, the man's been in office a whole 6 months and people are already ready to write him off as a failure because somehow they ingrained it into their brains that he was the 2nd coming of Christ and would fix all of America's problems in two weeks by waving his magic wand. In those 6 months hes already greatly improved the face of America to the Islamic world, a hell of a lot more than Bush did in 8 years. Obama inherited an economy at its lowest point since the great depression, and two wars. The man has enough to worry about in his own country, let Iran handle its own thing. BTW, what a good image it would send to the Islamic world if we could finally keep out of their business for once. I don't know if you agree or not, but improving relations with the nations of Islam will improve national security a hell of a lot better than invading their countries. Shocking concept to some i know.

Starting to snoop around in Iran's business after a "legitimate" governmental election will erode any and all good will the Muslim world had started to conger up after the Obama speech. I don't see how trying to mettle in the business of Iran will solve any middle eastern issues, if not create more of them. You wouldn't want the European Union to start trying to influence elections such as the 2000 election between Gore and Bush in which there was such a controversy. I'm no bleeding heart liberal by any means, but improving the United States image in the Muslim world is a critical step in national security, one that the current administration finally understands. The notion that you can bomb and invade your problems away is one of the most short sided notions I've ever run across in my life. Taking on the role of world police is not a role the United States can afford to assume any longer, we've got too many domestic problems, both economically and security wise that we cannot spare any unnecessary resources or personnel for a problem that is not our own. If there were obvious injustices within the election, which we all know more than likely there were, let the UN handle it, that is, in all actuality, what they were created for. Military presence in any Muslim country by an "infidel" is seen as a direct military action against the nation of Islam, i can only imagine what sending an aircraft carrier into Iranian waters would spur up, oh wait, more ultra nationalism which allows people like Ahmadinejad to continue to be elected. Let diplomacy have a chance, we've had 8 years of nothing but closed ears and loaded rifles, i think its time to try another approach.

Hey all, just joined today and thought i'd drop in and say hello! Im new to the rep. world but i hope to learn fast!