The above quotation comes from the esteemed Founding Father and third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, so written in 1809, after having completed two full terms as President. If this nation, would take those above words to heart, we would thus find America to be a far more civil society, not only for the citizens that make up that nation, but also for the world, at large. Regrettably, as the premier world military power, America has seen fit that it must also be the world’s perpetual policing force, thereby getting itself involved in all sorts of foreign affairs, in afar off lands, as if America, alone, should so determine what sort of governance should or should not be practiced in sovereign nations around the world.
The problem with America, is that it not only carries a big stick, but it insists upon utilizing, almost exclusively, that big stick, and virtually then ignoring the value of speaking softly, and thus the good utilization of diplomacy and negotiations in the affairs of foreign governments. None of these unnecessary military misadventures bodes well in providing more care and happiness to human life, either here or abroad -- for America by its bellicose foreign policies, far too often believes that to resolve such to its satisfaction, necessitates the destruction of whatever that they perceive as being the enemy, as if this sort of action somehow is always justified, and will thereby ultimately bring lasting peace.
At the present time, America is in desperate need of a reset; and further to the point, America needs to determine what should be the legitimate object of good governance. It would seem, that Jefferson, had it right, of which, the care of human life and happiness, should be the calling card of this the richest nation that the world has ever known. If America, was to focus intently upon the good and thus the contentment of those that it so governs, as being its primary goal, then for a certainty, the people that live within this land, would enjoy a more prosperous and thereby satisfying life.
There are all sorts of things that any nation can get itself involved in, but the most pressing concern for any good governance, is first to recognize that such governance should be done for the greater good and benefit of the people that make up that nation, to begin with. There are always going to be troubles within a given nation, and also without, but not all troubles need to be dealt with forcefully or even personally addressed by American governance, especially when they do not realistically involve real or present dangers to those that populate this good land. Those that insist upon getting their noses into the type of business, that does not directly involve them, are susceptible to not only their nose getting bloodied, but in thus getting intertwined and intermixed into that which is not going to have a good outcome for anybody or anything. Rather, a better pathway, is to concentrate foremost upon pursuing happiness, which rests upon the sound tenets of liberty, justice, and fair play.