How Far is Too Far?

The United States, if not the ‘shining city on a hill,’ is certainly at least a unique superpower. A massive country with a sprawling population and an ideological bastion, the US is loved, hated, and relied on for military support all at the same time. Those enacting foreign policy for the United States do not have the luxury of using past states as templates for how to run this country. The truth is, the problems we face being such a massive state in the 21^st century simply do not compare to states of the past. That being said, we ride a fine line between security and civil liberties-a line that divides the country into those valuing security above all else and those championing the rights of the constituency.

Growing up in a military family and being in university at the same time keeps me a bit torn between the two. While I can’t help but feel a sense of pride for the military industrial complex and our norms of freedom and liberty, it’s still a bit disconcerting to hear about the government bypassing civil rights for the sake of security.

On one hand, I find myself agreeing with Mertus and the idea that there are absolute human rights that are not to be violated, such as that to privacy. However at the same time it is difficult to deny that the United States has to take unique measures when it is fighting a unique battle, and for that particularism holds true.

The line that the US is riding is one with many gray areas. What kind of torture is acceptable? Are some civilian casualties to be expected during drone strikes? These themes of how a superpower is supposed to morally behave have been present throughout the entire course. And how we interpret these themes and behave will have vast consequences for how the United States is perceived by the international community as well as its constituency.