Americas Foreign Policy

[CocoaBrotha]

Welp, What needs to change people? Lets hear from all 4 corners of the globe. Where to start?

[eagle]

Everything :idea:

[CiaranM]

Welp, What needs to change people? Lets hear from all 4 corners of the globe. Where to start?

well getting rid of those murdering fascist bastards u got in the white house now would be a good start !!! although not if replaced by that fruitcake McCain !!

also listening to other countries in the international community and an acceptance that it is possible to have another, conflicting view without being "against you !!"

[BangkokBilly]

Gotta feel for a big country that is up there on the radar.

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

The US got slaughtered for being isolationist in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Now it's the other end of the spectrum.

At the end of the day the U.S. is the age of a small child ...when it comes to world history. In the UK I used to eat in a college dining room that was older than the American nation !

[zonacat]

CiaranM: "also listening to other countries in the international community and an acceptance that it is possible to have another, conflicting view without being "against you !!"

Ditto. Many other countries have spoken. I certainly irked some closed minds for posting this somewhere else, but it certainly appears that thus far, "other countries in the Int'l community" also do NOT want McCain:

See: http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com/results

[eagle]

At the end of the day the U.S. is the age of a small child

unfortunately some people act like small children including poiiticians Like terrible 2s :twisted: time to get real !

[Loburt]

At the end of the day the U.S. is the age of a small child

unfortunately some people act like small children including poiiticians Like terrible 2s :twisted: time to get real !

and that's certainly not limited to the US.

[Loburt]

In the UK I used to eat in a college dining room that was older than the American nation !

I'll bet the food was older than the American nation too.

[eagle]

At the end of the day the U.S. is the age of a small child

unfortunately some people act like small children including poiiticians Like terrible 2s :twisted: time to get real !

and that's certainly not limited to the US.

Indeed Robert it is world wide. I used to get a kick out of seeing ethics text books my friends had in College. Ethics is an adult word I guess.

[beej]

Going to war under the guise of homeland security.

[BangkokBilly]

"The UN? What power do they really have?"

Here's the nub for me. I sometimes feel the UN are like the waste of time League of Nations.

Okay, some may argue / debate that the US, USSR, China, UK, big boys, undermine the UN, others may argue that there should not be a global government...

...but all I know is that I was brought up by parents who taught me that if something you know is wrong is going on you either do something about it or you report it to someone who can. By not doing anything you are almost as bad as the person committing the wrong.

On the rugby pitch I learnt "one in all in" usually stops fights escalating out of control and protects your mates from getting beaten up.

So what happens when you KNOW something wrong is happening in the "country" next door? And that it is IMPOSSIBLE for the citizens in the country to do anything to save themselves from what is happening, e.g. Albania in the late 1970s, Zimbabwe today.

The UN doing nothing doesn't seem right to me.... ....what can it do? I know what I would want it to.

[BangkokBilly]

PS the food at college was teriffic. Thanks for all of your concern, you lovely folk you.

[Stramash]

Welp, What needs to change people? Lets hear from all 4 corners of the globe. Where to start?

I read the other posts and lots of mention of what needs to change but no one has really mentioned any methods, as in what should the US do? How should there policy rollout etc..

Q:

1. Do you think that terrorism is a real threat or not?

2. Do you think that countries that have laws that seen sub standard should have there policy changed by the world at large or can a country do what it wants within its own borders? ( I think this is the primary question).

3. Do you think it's ok for countries to obtain nuclear weapons if they want?

4. Do you think it's ok for countries (gov, knowingly) to produce harmful drugs to sell worldwide?

5. Do you think manufacturing world wide needs to be done on a fair basis or is it ok do do as one wants? (polute, abuse, etc)

6. A good idea to raise young kids to be terrorists?

I realize that the Iraq war is a huge money pit, a big mistake and should have let the people of Iraq rise up and take charge of there own gov. but the secular wars have been waged now for what, 1400 years? Not really our business I think but a question remains....what about human rights?

Should the world as a whole have balanced human rights? Good for all countries?

Who is going to establish this policy and police it?

In other words, who is the worlds police?, do we need them?

I know there have been a lot of mistakes made but at least there is so action taking place.

Do you see other countries trying to take the lead and sort out the worlds problems?

What about what is happening in Africa? Who should be streightening out that mess? Who will be in charge of doing so?

The UN? What power do they really have?

1. Yes, but one that is constantly exaggerated by the US to support their foreign policy and to allow expenditure on defence/security and to restrict civil liberties.

2. Unless the 'sub standard' laws lead to genocide, mass abuse of human rights, starvation or mass suffering, no.

3. No, but it's equally wrong of the superpowers to have unneccessarily large nuclear arsenals anymore either...

4. Define harmful drugs - are the multi national pharmaceutical giants who produce addictive painkillers and anti depressants not just as guilty as countries like North Korea or roganisations like the CIA?

5. There should be rules governing pollution, working conditions, age of workers, minimum wages etc, but equally world trade agreements shouldnt be written to always benefit US and very few other people!

6. Obviously not. Extremism is extremism, but...where do you draw the line between defining a 'terrorist' and a 'freedom fighter'?

As to to your other points;

Yes, the UN is pretty impotent. Lots of posturing but very little concrete action. Iraq is certainly a money pit, but more a pit of money where lots of big US firms have taken all the contratcs for rebuilding, usually at hugely inflated costs!

In an ideal world, there would be balanced human rights for al. But hey, it aint an ideal world. And as long as there are nutters like Mugabe and Bush kicking about, we have very little chance of finding that ideal world.

As to Africa, I am sure the US will step in there just as soon as they need the oil/minerals etc. After all, that's why they usually intervene!! (or of course there is the excuse of intervening as a favour to their big buddies the house of Saud!!) :twisted: