Rational self-interest is key in the field of economics, being a major force in the establishment of its philosophical foundations. Along with economics, this term has influenced the preponderance of my political philosophy, which led to my own personal Conservative and Libertarian ideals. Admittedly, rational self-interest can be callous, but sifting through the demagoguery one can realize that when civilizations adopt pragmatic rational self-interest, they become prosperous; furthermore, when societies turn away from rational self-interest, they degrade into a state of incompetency and inefficiency. We are currently seeing this in all aspects of American life, especially in foreign affairs.

America’s degradation in foreign affairs can be attributed to policies of both parties over the past two presidential administrations. Starting at the turn of the century, Republicans fell under the influence of compassionate Conservatism, which initiated our ignorance. Compassionate Conservatism adhered to by the Bush Administration gave America the pseudo-duty to establish ubiquitous democracy. This notion facilitated our intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was upset with these events because Republicans spent trillions of dollars propagating the military-industrial complex, along with losing thousands of American lives for nothing but the degradation of our prominence.

This incompetency has degraded our international position and emboldened our enemies. Invading Iraq, we killed Saddam Hussein, one of the biggest buffers against Iranian hegemony over the Iraqi Shiites; in addition, we borrowed trillions of dollars from China to “nation build” in Iraq, strengthening the Iraqi oil industry in order to allow China to utilize more than half of Iraq’s oil exports for their own economic benefit. We also give exorbitant levels of foreign aid to Pakistan for regional support. Pakistan, the country that is either so incompetent as an ally or nefarious as an enemy that Osama Bin Laden was killed 1000 yards from the Pakistani version of West Point.

President Obama has only exacerbated our foreign policy problems. Along with President Bush, President Obama props up the current Afghanistan government, which is equivalent in corruption to the Taliban they replaced; Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s president, and his brother are profiting off Afghanistan’s opium trade. Part of that opium is eventually making its way to America in the form of narcotics, destroying American families. In addition, Afghan politicians like Karzai feel a need to spite us on the international stage by supporting Russia’s annexation of Crimea, never being reprimanded for their shamelessness.  

Karzai can get away with this because American diplomacy and foreign strategy has been diametrically opposed to what it needs to be: strong and tactful. In fact, Vladimir Putin was just named Forbes’ most powerful person on Earth, despite Russia having diminutive economic and military power relative to America’s. The reason Russia is able to obscenely disrespect national sovereignty is because in recent history America has failed to support its allies and remains complacent with the sins of our adversaries. For example, former Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi and former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak – despots who for all their wrongdoings worked with America – were removed immediately by wishful rhetoric such as equality and freedom.

Now, Libya is in chaos and our former Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, is dead. Egypt is in economic calamity after electing the Muslim Brotherhood and subsequently suffering from a military coup. Are Libyans and Egyptians better off now with respect to equality and freedom? No.

But when Bashar Al Assad kills innocent children in droves with chemical weapons, and almost loses control of his own country at the hand of a grassroots rebellion, America did nothing. We missed an opportunity for Iran to lose its greatest ally in the region, which would have undoubtedly helped America’s position in the Middle East.

Rationally self-interested foreign policy would mean America supporting our proven allies: protecting them because they are taking a risk to stand on our side, not leaving them at their moments of need because of our deceiving tendencies. We should expose the vulnerability of our enemies, and exploit them in order to advance the American cause, because if we do not, we will embolden our enemies and demoralize our allies. When we are trying to complete a mission, we should not play by the rules of international law or the United Nations, because our enemies have not and never will. Foreign affairs and national security is not conducted by the pious, because there is a necessity to win, no matter the cost or course of action deemed necessary to do so.

It is time for our generation to challenge the erroneous decisions our leaders too often make. Alternative voices need to be heard in order for our generation to gain new perspectives on foreign policy. On April 21, former congressman Allen West will come to DePaul to speak on the errors of American policy. Speakers like this are a great way to motivate Americans to reevaluate our foreign policy and put pressure on our representatives to enact a rationally self-interested foreign policy that promotes America and her inherent values of freedom and democracy rather than her enemies.