No we shouldn't be the world's police. We should have never stayed in Afghanistan after going in to "punish and retrieve Bin Laden" and we should never have gone to Iraq which begat Syria. That said: WE FUCKING OWE THE KURDS. They have been our best ally in the Mideast bar none. The U.S. is shit for defending allies if they have little to offer once that little need is used up.
We also promised, along with Britain (yes, you Britts are just as guilty on this one upcoming) to protect the sovereignty of Ukraine once they gave up their nukes. What would Russia have done if the Ukraine still had nukes? Start a conflagration?

@WilliamFleming -- While that is true, there is a broader picture. The majority of the current situation in the Middle East is a direct result of our meddling and in some cases direct intervention through armed conflict. I can't recall there ever being a time of peace in the region or general respect for human rights or even a tilt of the hat toward equality, but we have created something that has the potential of spilling over the boundaries there and it would behoove us to make sure that doesn't happen for our own sake.

Add to that the moral and ethical issues surrounding making and breaking agreements with different factions in the region. My experience during the Vietnam excursion tells me that the wise thing to do now is to honor our commitments/promises responsibly in a way that doesn't get a lot more people than necessary killed and leaving thousands with a resentment that might easily boil into a hatred we will regret later.

We have a little something in common, William. I spent a good deal of time in Alaska too. Right after the quake, I worked with ASHA in the Anchorage office as a Public Information Officer and Planner. I worked under Lidia Selkregg. I was on the team that redesigned Kodiak and worked on the relocation of Valdez. Had a small placer claim out on the Jack Wade too.

@evidentialist Neat! I love Alaska, which is a very beautiful state. I see you like sailing. I used to keep a sailboat in Seward. I sometimes dream that I am still in Alaska.

Then I wake up and realize that the temperature has fallen to 70 and my fan needs turning off.

Lidia Selkregg is a familiar name. You might have been gone by the time I arrived in ‘73.