Yes
I do.
No
I don’t.
Why does the United States continue to face hostility from foreign organizations, authoritarian governments and other adversaries around the world?
It is a question American presidents have wrestled with for decades, and the answer has major implications for national security, foreign policy and the country’s role on the world stage.
President Donald Trump has frequently portrayed America’s conflicts with hostile governments and extremist movements as part of a broader struggle to protect the United States, its people and the principles the country represents.
The idea that America’s enemies oppose the United States because of its freedoms also has a long history in American political debate. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush famously argued that terrorists opposed freedoms including religious liberty, free speech, voting and the right of Americans to disagree openly with one another.
Those principles remain central to America’s constitutional system.
The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly and petition. Americans also choose their political leaders through elections and have legal protections that do not exist in many authoritarian countries.
Supporters of the argument say those freedoms make the United States a symbol and target for extremist movements and governments that reject Western-style democratic institutions.
Others believe the reasons for hostility toward America are more complicated.
Critics point to decades of U.S. military involvement overseas, alliances with foreign governments, sanctions, economic policies and America’s support for countries such as Israel as factors that can contribute to resentment or conflict.
The debate matters because understanding why America’s adversaries act as they do can influence decisions involving military spending, border security, intelligence operations, diplomacy and America’s relationships with allies.
Regardless of political affiliation, protecting Americans from foreign threats remains one of the federal government’s most important responsibilities.
But Americans can disagree significantly about where those threats originate, what motivates America’s adversaries and how the country should respond.
That raises a fundamental question about America’s place in the world and the freedoms Americans have defended for generations.