MILITARY INTERVENTION

Military intervention is used by the American
government to control what the government perceives
as a foreign conflict. Military intervention is often the
target of protest as well. This multilateral protective
intervention has a number of pros and cons.
Military Intervention Debate Pros
There are a number of advantages to military
intervention. First and foremost, military intervention can
potentially save hundreds or even thousands of lives.
When a government or terrorist organization is inflicting
pain and death upon civilians, military intervention can
often stop the damage. Along those same lines, military
intervention can also force corrupt foreign governments
to disband and step down, saving countries from
corruption and harm.
Military intervention is often legally sanctioned by an
international organization, such as the United Nations.
This support and legality allows the actions to be
justified and not looked upon negatively by foreign
nations. The support also ensures that forces come
from around the globe, rather than just from one
country. Military intervention is a last resort, used when
peaceful methods of intervention are unsuccessful.
Military intervention can potentially deter future corrupt
and tyrannical governments from developing. Seeing
corrupt governments destroyed definitely helps to keep
new individuals from creating a similar government.
Cons to the Military Intervention Debate
While there are certainly some great advantages for
military intervention, there are also a great deal of
disadvantages. Military intervention is an extremely
violent and drastic measure that should be undertaken
only if extremely necessary. Unfortunately, governments
often fail to consider peaceful options, progressing
immediately to violence. Due to this desire to
immediately choose the violent option, interventions
often are not sanctioned. Congress typically does not
get a say, nor does the U.N. Ignoring international
support and sanctioning often means that the
intervention is unsuccessful due to lack of support.
There are no troops sent in from other countries, and
those responsible for the intervention are often
admonished.
Military interventions cause a great deal of deaths of
military personnel sent in to eliminate the conflict. There
is no international framework in place for military
intervention, especially outside of Europe. Without an
international framework, decisions and responsibilities
are often not well-considered. There is no oversight for
the intervention, leading to problems. Without rules and
guidance, interventions often fail, whether because of
poor strategy or lack of support.