The United States' pursuit of world peace and its police state

Since the early 20th century, the United States has played a significant military and political role in the world, engaging in numerous international interventions under the pretext of pursuing world peace. However, this pursuit of world peace by the United States has sometimes been criticized as being characteristic of a police state. By examining the contradictions that arise in the execution of its image as a guardian of peace, we can understand how the concentration of power and the expansion of a surveillance society manifest at both international and domestic levels, and how they are connected to military interventions.

1. The United States' Pursuit of World Peace

The United States' pursuit of world peace primarily aims at maintaining international order and spreading democracy. Historically, the U.S. has operated under two main ideologies: the promotion of democracy and freedom, and the protection of international order.

Promotion of Democracy and Freedom

The United States often claims to be the "guardian of freedom" in the world. After World War II, the U.S. established military and economic dominance in the international community and set a goal to spread democracy worldwide. To achieve this, especially during the Cold War, it engaged in various forms of diplomatic and military interventions in ideological opposition to the Soviet Union. The Vietnam War, the Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis are significant examples reflecting this U.S. foreign policy.

Protection of International Order

As a central nation in maintaining international order, the United States sought to spread the international norms and laws it established across the globe. To this end, the U.S. exerted influence in various international organizations, including the United Nations, and sought to maintain international security through alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Military interventions in the Middle East and military support in Europe are examples of this.

While this pursuit of world peace may appear to be a positive goal in name, U.S. military interventions have sometimes taken on a hegemonic character, excessively interfering in the internal affairs of other nations and causing civilian casualties. For instance, the Iraq War was initiated on the grounds of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), but considering the political chaos and violence that occurred in Iraq afterward, the U.S. intervention has been criticized as being dominant and aggressive.

2. The United States as a Police State

Internally, the United States has shown a tendency to strengthen its police state characteristics to maintain its safety and order. A police state is characterized by the state limiting individual freedoms under the pretext of maintaining law and order and establishing a large-scale surveillance system. Elements of a police state in the U.S. have been strengthened since the 9/11 attacks, with notable examples including the Patriot Act and the surveillance programs of the National Security Agency (NSA).

Changes After 9/11

The 9/11 attacks became a significant catalyst for justifying enhanced security and the expansion of state power within the U.S. After 9/11, the U.S. government declared a war on terror and significantly expanded state power. The Patriot Act, a representative piece of legislation, strengthened data collection and surveillance activities under the guise of counter-terrorism, which has been criticized for potentially infringing on individual freedoms.

This law allowed for the monitoring of American citizens' phone calls, emails, and internet activities, raising issues of violating the presumption of innocence. Additionally, it granted legal authority to indefinitely detain non-citizens through military tribunals, indicating an excessive expansion of state power.

NSA's Surveillance Programs

The NSA's surveillance programs have sparked significant controversy within the U.S. This program, revealed by Edward Snowden, involved the government conducting large-scale surveillance of internet and phone communications and collecting citizens' personal data. Such surveillance activities often conflicted with constitutional values that guarantee freedom and personal privacy and have been pointed out as a cause for strengthening police state elements.

3. The Relationship Between U.S. Diplomatic and Military Interventions and Police State Characteristics

U.S. diplomatic and military interventions are often justified under the pretext of spreading freedom and democracy, but they have been criticized as interventions imbued with police state characteristics. In other words, while the U.S. claims to protect the freedom of external nations, it has, in reality, intervened in the internal affairs of other countries through military interventions and political pressure to safeguard its own interests. These interventions have been packaged as wars for freedom, but it cannot be denied that their actual purpose was to maintain the U.S.'s dominant position and strengthen military hegemony.

4. The Police State Elements of the U.S. and Their International Impact

The police state elements within the U.S. have had a significant impact on the international community. While the U.S. promotes the ideals of human rights protection and democracy, it has, in practice, intervened in the internal affairs of other countries or supported dictatorial regimes through military interventions for its own interests. For example, U.S. military interventions in the Middle East have often resulted in human rights violations and the suppression of freedoms to achieve political objectives. These contradictory policies illustrate how the U.S., in its role as a global police force, is losing its own freedoms and democracy.

The United States has pursued military interventions and foreign policies aimed at world peace and the spread of democracy. However, this pursuit of peace sometimes takes on a hegemonic character, infringing on the sovereignty of other nations or intervening in their internal affairs for its own interests. Furthermore, police state elements have been strengthened since 9/11, resulting in the expansion of laws and surveillance systems that limit citizens' freedoms. Thus, the United States' pursuit of world peace and its internal police state characteristics sometimes conflict, and the contradictions that arise in their execution become subjects of criticism.