Tunisia, Egypt, and other dominoes

In light of the domino effect that is apparently taking shape in the Arab World in recent weeks, we as a nation may have no choice but to reevaluate our role in the affairs of other states.

As uncomfortable as this is sure to make many people, the time may be upon us to end our policies of propping-up everyone else's so-called quality of life in various corners of the world when we're failing at an increasing rate at maintaining our own country's way of life.

If the people in the Middle East want the caliphate, I just don't see how we can legitimately deny them the basic right of national self-determination.

To my fellow Tea Partiers, how can we argue that we can no longer afford widespread entitlements and corporate welfare and then turn around and promote a continuation of interventionist foreign policy?

Furthermore, it's easy to make an ally of a dictator when you're slipping him taxpayer-funded kickbacks every year.

Ultimately, for many Americans there is real concern surrounding the perception of the United States’ prestige in the world going into decline. Many among us are blaming this particular situation on President Barack Obama’s tendency toward waffling during such instances as the demonstrations in Egypt and in 2009 in Iran – and most of the criticism is well deserved.

However, if meddling in the affairs of other, sovereign nations is a legitimate component of American vital interests (of which I am, shall we say, dubious), then equally to blame for our dramatic loss of prestige is former-President George W. Bush for not just entrenching America in two undeclared wars on the other side of the world but also for woefully mismanaging both war efforts before Obama came along and continued the trend.

This overall sentiment is extrapolated-upon much more eloquently by Pat Buchanan in his columns published on February 18 and January 18.