Democracy is a wonderful thing. If you look at polls here on PF, people's opinions are a lot wiser than what the government is doing. For a government to do what is best for the people it is a good idea to listen to what the people care about.
“America... goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.” ― John Quincy Adams But these days we go looking for a wrong we can right, and when we can't find one, we make one.
There was also a question of whether the United States should run the risk of becoming an empire, which given the ability to expand westward and the rapidly rising population was a pretty obvious question. The reasons for not becoming an empire were illustrated by each country that did: 1. The means of controlling populations in the empire would soon be used at home. 2. The empire eventually collapses after military over-reach, Rome fighting the Saxons, Britain fighting in WW1, the US attempting to bleed Russia white in Ukraine. Although Rome ended up broken into a number of smaller polities, Britain, with boundaries defined by ocean water, remained as a significant republic, having released former colonies into the 'Commonwealth of Nations' and the US, also defined by two oceans, should take the opportunity to do the same.
