*** ORBUSMAX GUEST OP/ED ***

U.S. FOREIGN AID - When is enough enough? By 'Jack Frost'

May 10, 2004


Resolved that our United States constitutes about 6% of the world's population - perhaps utilizes about 51% of the world's energy (thus far, it has been reported -- but we've EARNED IT and that doesn't mean that we're depriving others; just because we're rich doesn't mean that we're taking from someone else; in fact we buy from and/or put people to work supplying the stuff we use), and also is responsible for roughly 80-85% of the world's giving: Foreign Aid - and, certainly has not been thanked for its largess. Inasmuch as the so-called United Nations has become totally irrelevant - and recognizing that we, the USA, should not be the world's policemen, and that the rest of the world resents, envies or hates us - in my not-so-humble opinion, it's time to reassess everything!

Screw Iraq - Iran - Syria - Yemen, and every other place on this globe. The Europeans were unable/unwilling to handle their own neighborhood problems in Bosnia-Kosovo; the U.S. filled a void after the UN "peacekeepers" were either unable or unwilling to stop the slaughter in "ethnic cleansing" and wouldn't keep the peace. So why should we expect anything positive from Europe (the Brits possibly excepted)?

Thus, we might ask ourselves "when is enough enough?" We went in to take care of situations in Iraq and the world whined. We stayed out of the Congo and Rwanda - and the world whined. Didn't do enough for Sierra Leone? The world whined. Did "too much" for Israel? The world whined. OK. Ungrateful Germany and France notwithstanding (hell, they never paid their debts from either World War), I propose doing a Libertarian thing and simply withdrawing our troops from Korea, Germany (37,000 & 71,000)*****. Let those countries defend themselves and stop relying on us - and wherever else our troops may presently be - Haiti and Japan, among other countries. We might place those troops of ours back on our own borders to shut down the illegal immigration - then find/kick out all the illegals pronto, period. No more allowing Mexicans to cross into our country to get free medical/give birth to their kids (who then become immediate U.S. citizens and, all too often, our future welfare cases) - no more easy entry for spies/terrorists/bag guys. Every non-citizen should be photographed and fingerprinted and certainly placed under more clearance restrictions before being allowed a Visa. Other countries do it - why shouldn't we?

Not only that, but … dissolve all the present "treaties" - and, the biggy: withdraw from the UN and NATO, and cease our Foreign Aid totally, except (possibly) to the few decent charity or "basket cases" that deserve some help. Temporarily! No more subsidies. Egypt hates us, yet receives $2 billion plus annually from the U.S. taxpayers? No more! Let's wrap things up with a quick defoliation of the Afghanistan poppy fields and exit - pronto. Permanently.

Leave the Arabs to the Israelis. Although outnumbered by about 100:1, they can handle 'em - and they can bomb anyone else who doesn't agree into extinction. They have the brains, bombs and probably the self-defense capabilities to handle most all of those bad guys. Leave the North Korea situation to the totally ungrateful South Koreans, Chinese and Japanese. The Taiwanese and Red Chinese? Let them re-run the Mutually Assured Destruction era of the Soviets and USA. The Red Chinese may be huge, but Taiwan's smarter, more industrious and certainly should be capable of defending itself with its nukes and efficient free-enterprise economy.

We can have our scientists build/install our detection devises at the ports and borders, and build our SDS defense shields. And take care of ourselves, for a change.

We can have everyone home, and start relying more fully on our own resources; we have plenty of oil - we just have to drill for! Or, the folks in the Middle East would still love to SELL more oil to us -- they need the money.

And if the "world" (and/or our more "internationally-minded" citizens) don't like it -- tough.

"Jack Frost"


***** Or those troops could be assigned by Dubya or Rummy to quell the mess in Iraq. Incidentally, should some be curious, these are not sudden pronouncements based on recent events; they've long been my opinions -- it's probably become time to just restate the obvious, whether it be viewed as selfish by some, or not "activist" enough by others.

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"Jack Frost" is a retired broadcaster and all'round malcontent, married to a Ph.D. college professor of the non-watermelon persuasion.