One opinion I hear all the time is that the United States should go back to being an isolationist country; not that being isolationist has ever worked for us before. People, apparently, believe that we need to mind our own business. I agree with that statement; but I also believe that we are minding our business.
America makes up a very small portion of the world's population - something like 6%. THat's not a lot, right? Yet somehow we manage to use most of the world's resources. Last I read the figure was somewhere near 80%. 6% of the world's population using 80% of the world's resources - gee, doesn't that make it our business to mind the world's resources?
And I will grant that our use of the resources is due in large part to an overdependency on these resources; but so flipping what? Does that make it any less of our business to secure said resources?
And, I'm sure, times will change. There will come a time when these resources are no longer readily available. Perhaps they will be rationed out, who knows?
Others seem to think that we have no business setting up or attempting to set up government regimes in other countries. Why not? Obviously they aren't doing it very well on their own. Why shouldn't we step in to help?
It's good that you're asking questions because you're clearly ignorant on the issue.
America does not need to make little satellite countries out of Iraq, Iran, or anywhere else. Look up the death toll of civillians in Iraq and then ask why we shouldn't set up camp.
And we shouldn't hoard all the world's resources for ourselves, either. And another thing--America's number one health risk is obesity, while thousands of children die from starvation every day.
America needs to help the countries that ask for help and leave everyone else alone.
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. --Jimi Hendrix
America is not stepping in to help these contries, America is stepping in to help itself. As you said America is securing the worlds resources, these resources are in other people's countries.
The only way America can maintain it's gluttonous consumption of 80% of the worlds resources without sharing is to ensure that the nations who actually own the resources are disposessed of their resources and the means by which to exploit them.
You state that: "our overuse of the resources is due in large part to an overdependecy on these resources; so flipping what?"
What, you don't think the world's poorer nations are dependant on the same resources? They are, they just have to do without, because Americans "need" to drive cars the size of houses which consume more gasoline than any other nation's vehicles, Americans "need" to eat meals which are twice as big today as they were in the 70s, America "needs" to be able to indulge in every luxury it desires while the rest of the world starves.
America in short does not "need", it "wants", there is a marked difference. I think if you asked the 20% of the world at the bottom of the economic ladder, who earn 1$ per day, they would tell you that they need to earn a little bit more just to exist. But this may seem a little demanding to an America with so many "needs".
If America was told tomorrow that it could only consume resources which lay in it's own states, you better believe America's wants would be replaced with genuine need very quickly. America cannot continue to cosume as it does without making sure that millions starve. This IS how America does business, that is not to say that it is in any way justified. So America does need to mind it's business, it needs to mind how it practices business and spare a thought for the 94% who have to scramble for the 20% scraps America hasn't managed to get it's fat hands on.
I agree with the above statments, and I have only one thing to add. Think about what will happen when we have used, abused, and exploited everyone and thing. What will be left? Who will be left? Where are we going in a world with so much ability and equally so much inaction? What are we doing when people die at our doorstep and we can do nothing, when we seem to have everything? American has the access and ability to do so much good, but we are preoccupied by gaining more. What kind of people are we?
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I want our goverment to help those in need but not to overstep our bounds. With isolationist poliy it would be easier but than we couldnt help our allies as readily.
I think we need to help those that have humanitarian issues and leave the rest of the world to themselves.
The opposite of war is not peace. It is Creation!