It is an American tradition that a standing army is a standing menace to liberty; in Jefferson's presidency the army was reduced to 3,000 men. It is American tradition that we keep out of the affairs of other nations. It is American practice that we meddle with the affairs of everybody else from the West to the East Indies, from Russia to Japan; and to do it we have a standing army of 83,251 men.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- American tradition claims to avoid standing armies and foreign meddling, but practice contradicts this with a large military and global intervention.
- In plain terms
- The US says it avoids armies and interference but uses a big army to meddle everywhere.
- What can you take from it?
- Hypocrisy exists between stated values and actual policy.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does defense become aggression?
- How do we align values with actions?
Another view
The specific troop numbers may be dated and no longer accurate.
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