That's all I can Pakistans and I can't Pakistans no more
By Patrick Krey
Krey hears people saying stuff like, "what should we do about Pakistan?" Krey believes that it's ridiculous that common people are acting like they are foreign policy experts. He wonders why we are worrying about a country halfway around the world when we have trouble with our own country by itself. He hopes that in a few years we will look back on this time of worrying about the foreign policy of other nations "as a fad like mullets and disco, and recognize the idiocy of it all."
I tend to agree with Krey to some extent, but I think he needs to realize that it's not realistic for the United States, the most powerful nation in the world, to sit back and do nothing in other nations. A fad is something that is really popular for a little while then goes away almost overnight. The United States has been intervening in other nations for at least the past 100 years. Take the Spanish American War, World War I and II, and the Vietnam War just for a few examples. Calling the notion of meddling in the business of other nations a fad is incorrect.
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7 comments:
that is one of the dumbest titles, but a great post, Eliminator. I think many too people are worried about other countries when too much is wrong with ours. Yes, we also need to care about the whole world too.
One of the reasons the United States is so unpopular among people in other nations is because of the amount of meddling in the affairs of other nations we have done in the past and are still doing today. Too often, our intervention in global affairs is motivated by what will benefit our county and not our desire to make the world a better place.
I agree that we should stick to our own country's problems to some extent. But to do this, we have a huge government and many people with power for foreign affairs and many people with power for homeland affairs! And you're right - it's definitely not a fad, and even more than an era.
Why worry about Pakistan? Well, for one, they have nukes. In the wrong hands...mass genocide.
Two. They are bordering on radical Islam. Many of the people there are supporters of terrorism. Also, many terrorists of Al Qaeda are holed up there.
Third, the man in charge there has lied and taken away the rights of the citizens. They claimed that Bhutto "hit her head", resulting in her death. Then a tape came out, clearly showing that she was shot. They tried to cover it up. Now, what are the odds that a political enemy "accidentally dies" right after her protest of the current regime? Furthermore, the president took away the constitutional rights of the citizens and stripped the positions of judges that opposed him.
Add all of them up...Pakistan could become another Afghanistan...and worse, if they possess a nuclear arsenal. This is very much our business, because guess who is enemy number 1 for all the terrorists? The United States.
I totally agree with you. We can't just sit back at watch the world blow itself up. We need to figure out some positive way to help, as a very powerful country!!
There is such a careful balance between interacting in foreign affairs and maintaining our own country. And then there is also the issue that if we dont take care of foreign affairs before taking care of "home" then will it come back to haunt us or our children? For instance the nuclear weapons in the middle east that (supposing they are there) need to be contained. (if that is the best way to phrase it) My point being that there is a careful balance.
Yes, I believe we have a lot to take care of concerning our own country. But, I do also believe that as one of the most prosperous and advanced nations in the world, we are endowed with the responsibility of helping solved conflict around the world when it threatens global stability. The US has a reputation for "not minding it's own business," but when we act as the benign hegemon, we must uphold peace.
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