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Originally Posted by August
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Originally Posted by Skybird
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Originally Posted by Neal Stevens
Anyway, this is something the Western countries should all do, in tandem, or none at all. I'm tired of the US carrying the burden and getting all the criticism. If it were up to me, I would pull all US troops out, expell 90% of foreign students & workers, and return to isolationism. We have 24/7 news now, we could watch the next world war instead of being counted on to win it.
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Understandable, but you need the world probably as much as others need you. Just thinking on the economical interdependencies. The impact on your way of living if returning to isolationism probably would kill any government sticking to it. and I can't magine 330 million people all of a sudden give up their luxury live and excessive consummation of both goods and ressources and live like the Amish - although that maybe is not the worst way of living. Would you? Would I? We both answer No, don't we!? |
Sky, never in our history have we had economic isolationism, nor is that what Neal is talking about. |
Maybe, but the US has not become an international player after WWII for altruistic reasons only. International enaggement also means the ability to project international influence. Power. Shape internatio0nal orgnaization like one would want them to be, so that they feed back onto one's own economy positively, not negatively. WTO and ICF are god examples, they directly reflect massive American design input. But if you withdraw from all that, and piss off nations who love the UN (just an example), then why should they be willing to to business with you? even more so when they see that thy can hurt you when they don't trade with you? You need a lot of certain ore and other ressource for hightech, for space and aero technology, for example, much of that comes from Africa. when you project no influenc there, other nations will take over - and make sure to damage you by keeping you away from access. One rival less. Your trade deficit is legendary. If you do no longer pose a threat, or play the international card, why should others continue to pump money into your economy!? It depends on foreign investements. Probably no western economy can survive anymore without international envestements, but no other economy I see as vulenrabel to this as the american. You are livng on credit.no, I can't see isolationsim to be a good option for the US. Bush seem to have been told that, too, in a speech short while ago he also said that isolationism will only damage the american economy. You simply depend on being international. Skip the political part of it, no longer being able to protect the economical internationalsim that way, and you start dying.Isolationism only is an option for someone why can afford to run his shop truly autark. I do not see that conditon being fulfilled, wether politically, nor economically. not only with regard to the US, but all the West. This is an invitation to unite, but it is also one of our greatest weaknesses.