Does the USA have a defined "National Interest"?

Question

If we have a defined "National Interest", what is it? What is used as a basis for the definition? Are we currently acting, throughout the world, in our national interest politically, economically, or culturally?

Answer 1

The national interests of the US are whatever the power elites determine them to be at any particular point in time the power elites so determine. Don't worry though since you didn't know the answer you can be reasonably certain you are not in that group.

Answer 2

"National Interest" is determined by the economic players with the most access to the executive. After ww2,there was the Korean War then the Vietnam War.they claimed this was to stop the advance of Communism.Though communism was not an alliance of countries.Then, we were in a missile building fury to stop The Russian advance.We trained and outfitted the Afghan mujahdeen,"freedom fighters" to topple Russia.Now we fight the freedom fighters."War against terrorism".War against rogue states.Our national interest is to develop missilesand take contol of valuable assets ie. control of Iraq.The oil companies want to put a cap on Iraqi oil production and it appears they have succeeded in former years and today.Adequate oil infrastructure in Iraq would bring the cost of oil down.Clearly, national Interest is not about the interest of Americans.

Answer 3

Our interest always has been the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action and a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.
Though in theory not in action.

Answer 4

National Interest is like the ocean tides, they come in and then they go out.

Answer 5

Who contributes,....who votes......that's national interest.

Answer 6

fiscal conservatives are deciding these things along with the "decider"