What should be the foreign policy of a free country?

Points of discussion

Moral Standard
What moral standard should determine a free country's relationships with other nations?

Military

• What should be the essential purpose of the military of a free country?
• Under what circumstances should the military of a free country be deployed?
• If a free country enters into war, how should it be conducted, and towards what goal?
• In a war of self-defense, to what extent does a free country bear moral responsibility for casualties inflicted upon the enemy's civilian population?
• Should the goal of regime change be to allow democratic elections or to replace a hostile government with a non-hostile government?
• What are examples of just and unjust wars?

Foreign Aid
Are there circumstances in which a free country has a moral obligation and/or self-interest in providing financial aid to another country?

Trade
Is it in the interest of a free country to impose trade barriers such as tariffs and duties?

Immigration

• Is immigration economically and/or culturally beneficial or harmful to a free country?
• Are there circumstances in which the citizens of a free country have a collective right to limit immigration?
• Should our government allow foreigners to enter the country illegally?
• Should foreigners who enter the country illegally be granted citizenship?
• Should our legal immigration system be reformed, and if so, why and how?

After the event, any interested guests will be invited to continue the conversation at a nearby restaurant.

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Our Meetup location, Le Pain Quotidien, is a private business; so that our group remains welcome, please don't arrive with beverages purchased from outside, and please be willing to purchase at least one beverage and/or menu item from our waitress (rather than on the way in).

AN IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING NO-SHOWS
Unfortunately, there is a longstanding problem in our group with large numbers of people who sign up frivolously and neither cancel nor show up, leading to large waiting lists of others who lose their opportunity to attend. Please note that going forward, those who sign up and neither cancel nor show up will be permanently removed from the group. Also, if you need to cancel, please have the courtesy to give at least 24 hours' advance notice rather than canceling immediately before the event, so those on the waiting list have an opportunity to attend.