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I believe it's everyone's responsibility to step in and help. The world is too small to be provincial.
Well, being that I've traveled all over the world and I've seen things that would make the average American puke. And being in the military for so long and not one to sit there and only believe what the bleeding heart media tries to feed us about world politics through the TV or the newspaper. I like to think that, for myself, I have a little bit of an uderstanding "that if they won't take of their selves, then why should we take of them". I strongly feel that we need to take care of our own people first at all times. Like those pour folks in Oklahoma, Mississippi and anyone else within our OWN borders that need help.
So if that is as you put it "Provinial" then I'll take that as a compliment and say thank you . If we as a country would quit sticking our nose into other countries problems and start calling in all of the money / debt that is owed to us, we would be in alot better shape. And thats coming from an ex G.I that has lived on the other side of the fence, like most G.I's who have seen what the average American is completely oblivious too. So, again "thank you very much for the compliment."
I am probably as socially liberal as anyone anywhere.
But one of the things that I've learned in my travels is that not everyone considers what we have to be good. Another thing is that most people have the government they want. I have been in places where the people were proud of where they were and what they had, when I would have never subjected my family to those conditions. I watched people eat things with relish and glee when, in my opinion, it would choke a maggot.
Similarly I learned that not everyone longs for a government like ours. In fact, I am not sure I like ours right now. Some people are so entrenched in tribal loyalties that a national government has to be dictatorial and what we call cruel, for the country to exist (Iraq comes to mind).
I firmly believe we need to be available to assist in emergencies. But if that assistance is not wanted or it is refused, then we should pack our stuff and go home. I do NOT believe we should insist on saving people when they seem intent on self destruction. That too is part of being free........the ability to make bad decisions. However, once that bad decision is made, it is not societies job to see to it that the consequences of the bad decision are "fixed." A child that never learns the consequences of a bad decision is a burden to society. A country that makes a bad decision can become a burden to the international community.......if we let it. I prefer to devote our resources to those areas where we can make a difference and where the people are willing to move forward. I do not believe in providing endless welfare to people who are not grateful, to people who resent it, and to people who are not willing to grow and learn. The government of Myanmar needs to grow up. It is tough on their people, but that government has to learn the consequences of their isolationism.
I like your way of thinking there, GoodPasture. When I worked with the SEAL Teams I had a chance to talk too a great deal of them about what they have seen during thier service. And the one thing that always comes to mind is, Somalia. Most of the rice, wheat and corn that we sent over thier just sat on the docks and rotted away, millions of tons of it. And for what? Just because thier own country would not step in and put an end the constant fighting between two gangs. And we could have used it to feed our own starving children, here in this country and used the money that was wasted to ship it, to help our own poor. And the sightings of all that grain wasn't by just word of mouth iether, I saw the pictures that were taken by the gentleman him self, and the general public here in the good ole USA were numb to what was actually going on.
I strongly feel that we need to take care of our own people first at all times. Like those pour folks in Oklahoma, Mississippi and anyone else within our OWN borders that need help.
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As an immigrant and a person who has travelled the world not as a GI but as an independent, I would like to interject that the "American Way" is not the only or necessarily the best way.
I can think of a dozen places (and that is just off he top of my head) where the standard of living and quality of life is far superior to that here in the US.
As an immigrant and a person who has travelled the world not as a GI but as an independent, I would like to interject that the "American Way" is not the only or necessarily the best way.
I can think of a dozen places (and that is just off he top of my head) where the standard of living and quality of life is far superior to that here in the US.
Your right about that, we would have a better quality of life, if we would mind our own business and take care of our own, FIRST.
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. If we as a country would quit sticking our nose into other countries problems and start calling in all of the money / debt that is owed to us, we would be in alot better shape. And thats coming from an ex G.I that has lived on the other side of the fence, like most G.I's who have seen what the average American is completely oblivious too. So, again "thank you very much for the compliment."
