<font color=orange>I was wondering about all this mess the world is in yesterday and I came up with this topic. Since it seems no one wants to support us and they don't want us to be the World's Policeman, maybe we should just withdraw from the world organizations like the UN and NATO and the rest of them. We could bring all our troops back to American soil and stop sending all that money overseas. Lord knows there's plenty we could do here with it. I personally, don't have a clue about what dog we have in the fight in Korea. Seems to me that if they don't want us, we should just come on home. Let them handle it themselves.

For that matter, we put up 85% of the funding for NATO. That means, by my math at least, Europe only puts up 15%. Isn't that European Territory we are protecting? Shouldn't they be doing that themselves? How much do we spend on the UN each year? Anybody know? What do we really get out of it? I don't see anything we get out of it but a hard time, myself.

I beginning to think that an isolationist policy might be a good thing.</font>

*tisk tisk tisk* the US does things like that because we can, we want to show that we care. By isolating ourselves we only become more hated. Egypt might be getting billions of dollars from us and still hate us but that's because once our money is int he hands of their government it is up to the nations government to distribute the money in what they consider their best interests, the US isn't telling the coutnry what to do with the money, and therefore the goverment likes us, the poeople and the seat on the UN might vote against us but at least they dont want to lob nukes at us.

That would be foolish, Sir T. The US GREATLY benefits from its international actions. If we withdrew from the WTO, for instance, we couldn't get $600 million in sanctions for Monsanto when the Brits refuse to buy GMO hormone-treated meat or $300 million in sanctions when the EU keeps redifining "banana" to protect the few European islands producing bananas from the inevitable world banana monopoly of Cincinnati-based and Nicarauga-farmed Chiquita Bananas.

We also couldn't extract Coca-cola executives from Pakistan in the event of war, keep open embassies and military bases on every continent and sub-continent, etc. While it may not be ONLY selfish, it is absolutely somewhat selfish to stay in these treaties, coalitions, agreements, etc. Bullying is much harder the cajoling, positioning, and manipulating - especially when you are the country in the world with the absolute best lawyers. ;)

Having a Dark Night of the Soul, Sir T? The problem with that is that we actually benefit from having the rest of the world a tidy, industrious place. We have tried isolationism several times in the past, and it has come back to haunt us. As for South Korea, heck, if they are that ungrateful, let's by all means bring out "trip-wire" troops home. Germany, too, IMHO.

I think our actions are nescesary for the survival of humanity. Tyrants will destroy this world if left alone. We need to blow them all to hell and move on.
Look what we did for Germany, they are doing great now and are good citizens, so to speek.

<font color=orange>Quite possibly I am! I do tend to tire of all the accusations that we seem to have to endure from our "friends" around
the world. I hasten to add that this sentiment doesn't apply here at IW. I just get really tired of the critisim that is heaped on us by so-called experts in the news media around the globe. It also seemed like a good topic to start up!</font>

I thought the majority of S. Korea supported American action agaisnt N. Korea. Didnt they have that huge protest that was Pro-US? But I dont know how many showed up.

Nope, most South Koreans want US forces OUT of the country. God knows why ?

South Koreans must have short memories apparently. Wait, the Korean war was over 50 years ago, so just talk it up to a new generation which hasn't paid sufficient attention in their Korean History classes.

Theres a difference between not wanting you guys to be part of international organisations and not wanting you to go to war quite so much. I quite like the idea of the US in the UN as then it means the rules can apply to everyone (in theory, lets leave out all the little annoying actual facts shall we... [img]smile.gif[/img] ). But I don't want the US to go to war with Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea, Iran... who else do you guys want to fight at the moment? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Basically, what you seem to be saying is that you want to be part of these international institutions but only if people don't criticise you about your role in them? Sorry but it just doesn't work like that. If you are going to be in the UN then you have to wait for a resolution before you go to war (that is if you still want a lot of people to like you). You can't up sticks and leave every time a decision doesn't go your way. Imagine the stink if Germany, France, or Russia did that. Or if Britain started bombing Belfast to get the Real IRA... we'd be sanctioned before you could say "Good Friday". I think the US already has enough concessions in the UN without us having to support you on everything or you leave.