The United States and the World (due Mon., Oct. 3)

[freemanjud]

In the United States, we are fond of using phrases like “we are the most powerful nation on earth” or “we are the richest nation on earth.” Sometimes we refer to ourselves as the “world’s policeman.” And yet, what Katrina has exposed, for those who were unaware or preferred to ignore it, is that the United States shares many of the same challenges and problems present in many other parts of the world. Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, has called for the “1st world” to reach out and eradicate poverty and disease in the “3rd world.” As this article on the recent United Nations report on global inequity indicates (http://www.learntoquestion.com/resources/database/archives/000750.html), the United States has plenty of poverty and health care issues at home.

So the bigger question is this: what responsibility does the United States have to the rest of the world? To its own people? To other nations, big and small, rich and poor? Does the rest of the world expect too much or too little from the United States?

This is the first post that students from the International School of Prague and the Boston Latin School will address jointly. You represent youth from many backgrounds and experiences. Please welcome one another, identify whether you are from Prague or Boston, and address the issues raised both in this post and by the article. Don’t forget to respond to one another as well!

[ibiubuhky]

Before starting my post, I would just like to say Hi to all of the students from Prague! I've heard that Prague is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I hope to travel there someday. I am a student at Boston Latin, in Boston (hence the name) and I'm excited to hear what everyone has to say, especially the students from Prague because we've never posted with you yet.
Anyways....

I want to start out by saying that I am an American. I was born here, I've lived her my entire life, and I couldn't see myself growing up anywhere else. As much as I know how blessed I am to live in a country of such great opportunities, I can't help but think about some of the, for lack of a better word, "stupid" decisions that have been made by our government. After Katrina, a new light was shed on the "All Powerful" United States. It didn't seem to be as organized and as powerful as some of us Americans had thought. I'm sure many New Orleanians will have a completely different view on their government. There was no immediate action on the government’s part. Children and elderly people were dying on the streets, people were being raped inside shelters for victims of the hurricane, families were uprooted and moved across the country searching for support, and many racial stereotypes were made along with generalizations about people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. It's not quite the "American Dream."

President George Bush also made some bad decisions, not only while the hurricane was going on, but before, causing the hurricane's effects to be much worse than they could have been. I also believe that there were different people in different government positions, not just the President, who could have acted more appropriately before, during, and after this tragic situation. Even though I say this, I realize that I can not play the blame game and point fingers at people who are thought to have made bad decisions because it is hopeless right now, but for the future, these people should be called out.

After reading the Paul Vallely article and watching the aftermath of Katrina which was constantly broadcasted on television, I realize that the US is not only a "1st world" country, but different parts of the country have characteristics of "3rd world" countries because there are parts of our country that are still developing and growing. For this reason, I feel like the United States alone doesn't have a right to take over different countries or spend money going to war with them. There is enough that the US has to worry about internally right now and they should just focus on rebuilding New Orleans and bettering the situations for the current US citizens.

A number one concern in American right now would be the lack in health care for the country. "The infant mortality rate in the US is now the same as in Malaysia." I'm not going to lie, when I read that it honestly frightened me. I truly think that right now, in this point in time, the United States needs to get their act together regarding how they are going to take care of their own people before anyone else. Don't get me wrong, I DEFINITELY think that the United States should participate in helping other countries, but in association with the UN. I emphasize helping, meaning not going to war with any countries because I don't think it solves anything in a way that honestly gets rid of all of the problems.

I feel like the US needs to step back and take responsibility for their own country and stop trying to fix other countries problems when they have too many of their own such as decline in health care, infant mortality rate, racial discrimination, rising child poverty rates, etc. I think that the United States has the responsibility to take care of it's own people, help other nations (big, small, rich, and/or poor) but only if these nations ask and if the US is 100% capable of doing this in a relationship with the UN. Other then that, I feel as if America should focus more on its own issues before proceeding in helping any other countries in the world right now.

[pixistixmixer]

Hello everyone in Prague! I am in Boston, and I am very interested to see your views on things...

The United States is very open about recognizing its power and flaunting it to other nations. Americans call themselves the richest nation in the world and claim to be better than any other country. As an American, I am also proud and confident in my country. I firmly believe that America is the greatest country in the world, although I know that other countries are not far behind. Like in any race or competition, the people in the back are out to beat the one winning, and if the winner is cocky, it makes it that much more desirable and better to beat him. The U.S. is like the cocky winner, and it shouldn't be because now that Katrina has devastated the south, we're falling to the back of the pack.

The article points out that "There is an urgent need to develop a collective security framework that goes beyond military responses to terrorism. Poverty and social breakdown are core components of the global security threat." This is very important, our current government seems to be based on terrorism issues. Terrorism is clearly not the only problem America has to worry about, and our government should have other equally ready responses to such non-terrorism issues.

Katrina has reduced parts of the U.S. to rubble and the government is overwhelmed with just the idea of what is needed to rebuild. The amount of money it would take is inconceivable to me, and I wonder if it is even possible. Meanwhile, the southern half of our country has basically been transformed into a 3rd world country. Americans are living the life of the people we see on TV. New Orleans is that commercial with the little boy, skinny and forlorn, in the arms of a man saying "for just 15 cents a day....."

And what are we doing about this? What is our government doing to help the southern half of America? To me it is unclear, but I know what we should have done. We should have saved our money that we wasted on the war. We should have saved the food crates that we dropped on Iraq to feed their poor, and we should have helped America. The money that has gone towards this war should have been saved and contributed to good AMERICAN causes. We should help ourselves before we help others.

The United States is responsible for the citizens of the United States, and NO ONE before that. In this time of need, we have spent all our primary resources on other countries. I believe that we should put aside the issues of all other nations, until we take care of ourselves, because if we don't, there will be nothing left of the U.S., and helping others won't even be a question.

[ac05x04ccc]

Hello! I attend the Boston Latin School. I’m looking forward to hearing the opinions of all the students at school in Prague, especially on this post.
The United States is a powerful country, this I do not doubt. What I fear is that the power the U.S. holds is often used inappropriately, or at least not as effectively as possible. It is too common an assumption that a country with as much world dominance as the U.S., does not have to deal with issues such as poverty. The article by Paul Valley contained information that I personally found quite surprising. I had no idea that the U.S. had such a high infant mortality rate, or that so great a number of people were living without heath insurance is this country. I knew that heath insurance was an issue, but I had no idea that the percentages were as high as 13 % of white Americans, 21% of black Americans, and 34% of Hispanic Americans. There statistics really make me think about the priorities of the U.S. government. Is it more important to aide foreign countries, or protect the lives of poor Americans? This is a terribly difficult question to answer, because it becomes one of comparing difficult and complicated situations, but the bottom line is that it is the job the U.S. government to protect those living in the U.S.
The U.S. definitely has an obligation to do whatever it can to help countries around the world, but it is not practical to be dolling out billions of dollars in foreign aide when there are so many U.S. citizens living below to poverty line. The infant mortality rate in this country provides a seemingly accurate depiction of how crucial it is that all people receive proper heath care. It is not acceptable for anyone to live without heath insurance, and the government needs to do something to provide heath care to those who truly cannot afford it on their own. I completely agree with a statement made in the annual Human Development Report which says the U.S. has, “an overdeveloped military strategy and an under-developed strategy for human security.”The U.S. government spends a great deal of time thinking about the war in Iraq and how to go about handling that, which of course in important, but it lends to those in power forgetting about the issues present here in America.
Since the U.S. has been such a dominant country for so long, both financially and militarily, it makes sense that other countries, especially very poor countries around the world, would look to America for support. All countries, big and small, rich and poor, know the power that the U.S. possesses, however it is not an official job of the U.S. to serve as the “world’s policeman.”Countries that rely heavily on the U.S. for monetary aid need to understand that the money this country has it first meant to be used to support the people who live here, so for a while it may be necessary to look elsewhere for help. The U.S. took at terrible hit with hurricane Katrina, but it also opened a lot of eyes up to see that this country is in no way invincible. The people who run the U.S. make as many mistakes as anyone else, and now they need to focus on fixing such mistakes and bettering the quality of life for all Americans.

[Silver]

Hello, I'm a Bostonian.

I should admit that even though my father's family has been in New England since the 1630s, I don't have strong national pride. I feel awkward saying the Pledge of Allegance, and explaining our country's policies to foreigners. It is hard to feel proud about something you only agree with part of the time and rarely participate in making.

But I have a pretty good reason. All of us have studied world and U.S. History, which is good. However in school most history is identified by the country. I think this makes people forget that it wasn't until the 100 years war (14th century) between France and England that national identities began to emerge. Also, imperialism and WWs I and II were caused largely by jingoism (violent nationalism).

That being said, I am a citizen of the U.S. and the U. S. is one of many countries in the world seperated by invisible man-made boundaries. The U.S. has the power to do a lot of good in the world; unfortuately much of that power is focused on the military. The U.N. report said:

"There is an urgent need to develop a collective security framework that goes beyond military responses to terrorism," it continues. "Poverty and social breakdown are core components of the global security threat."

I'm not naive enough to believe that countries could just give up thier militaries, but I do think that if the U.S. set an example by focusing more on the welfare of its own people than the military other countries would not feel so threatened and follow suit.
The rest of the world is right to believe that the 'most powerful country' should use its power to help developing countries through advisng and social welfare. Yet they should keep in mind that nothing is perfect, mistakes are made, and that the U.S. is made up of people too- including poor, sick, and starving people.
The U.S. owes other peoples protection, through immigration and politics. The U.S. owes no one war and all the problems it brings.

[FIBE]

First of all I would like to say Hi to all of the students at BLS! I live in Prague, yet I’m also partly American so I might not be as objective about this topic as my fellow ISP-students. I am really looking forward to reading all of the opinions here.

I want to start by saying that I was quite surprised to read so many crucial notions concerning this topic. What particularly astonished me was Silver’s statement: “I don't have strong national pride. I feel awkward saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and explaining our country's policies to foreigners”. This is a rather rare opinion, however even though I live thousands of miles away, I can feel this view spreading out across the United States after 9/11 and especially after Katrina.

I really have to fall into the line with the previous speakers and support ac05x04ccc’s assertion, that “What I fear is that the power the U.S. holds is often used inappropriately, or at least not as effectively as possible“. Along with the power that the U.S. have, also comes a great responsibility towards other countries. It is very difficult to really understand American policies without living in the States, but my image is that the U.S. are constantly conducting foreign policies and solving foreign affairs, yet always trying to benefit through them. I want to dare comparing America to a mother; a mother that cares so much about her children that she simply neglects herself. Because what the U.S. are truly in need of right now is caring about themselves. The text attached here somewhat opened my eyes. How is it possible that “The infant mortality rate in the US is now the same as in Malaysia”? How can a country of this wealth be partly the First World and partly the Third World at the same time?

Nevertheless, one question is still remaining: Does the rest of the world expect too much or too little from the United States? This is probably the part where my subjectivity comes into play. I believe devoutly that the rest of the world expects far too much from the United States. America might have the power and money to solve most of the problems, yet as every other democratic country, it only has one government. And this one government cannot remedy hundreds of issues at the same time. What Katrina showed is that the U.S. are like a bubble: They are trying to operate as much they can on the outside of the bubble’s border, they are impervious to any threat that comes from the outside but however, they are just as vulnerable as any other country when it comes to threats on the inside of the bubble.

[Fireworks]

Hi! I am a student of the International School of Prague, and I look forward to interacting with other students in Boston and Prague on various world issues. I am sure it will be a rewarding experience for all of us.

The UN Human Development Report has exposed facts that make it quite clear that the U.S. healthcare system has a number of shortcomings due to the country's inability to successfully tackle inequality. As far as health insurance is concerned, 13% of white Americans are uninsured, compared to 21% of black Americans and a mammoth 34% of Hispanic Americans. Another telling statistic is that, on average, a boy born in the top 5% richest families in the U.S. will live 25% longer than one born in the bottom 5%. While the first statistic points to racial inequality, the second one reveals economic inequality. All forms of inequality are severely damaging to the development of a good healthcare system and the establishment of a healthy population. The evidence of the decline in the U.S. healthcare system is clear enough: since 2000, the number of children who die before the age of 5 has been on the rise. The fact that child poverty rates in the U.S. are up to over 20% hasn't done the country any favours either.

All this means that the U.S. certainly has grave domestic issues to deal with. It is its government's responsiblity to its people to ensure that these issues and given due importance, time, energy and resources.

At the same time we must remember that this only affects a small proportion of the U.S. population and that the U.S. has the resources to deal with it. To begin with, even if the same resources are spent more judiciously, a difference can be made. The UN report says that though the U.S. spends 13% of its national income on healthcare spending, "this high level goes disproportionately on the care of white Americans. It has not been targeted to eradicate large disparities in infant death rates based on race, wealth and state of residence." This is exactly what the U.S. government must endeavour to do. As the country's economy grows, its government must give due attention to human development, poverty alleviation and breaking down all disparities and inequalities within its population. Even while looking for growth and freemarket policies, the government should pay a little more attention to development.

To be sure, these domestic issues must be given a priority by the U.S. government. After all, it has a responsiblity towards its people. Nevertheless, as the world's richest nation, I think it can afford to help other less developed nations as well. However, this concept of "help" is a delicate one. I completely agree with ibiubuhky that the U.S. should only "help" a particular nation if the nation welcomes it and if it can do so in harmony with the UN. When it comes to political intervention in a country, I feel the U.S. must not take unilateral decisions, but rather ensure that it has the support of the UN and the international community before rushing into anything.

Undoubtedly, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have shown that even the world's rishest nation is not immune to natural calamities. They have also demonstrated that the U.S. has some serious domestic problems to contend with. While the U.S. government would be right in giving these issues a priority, it should not neglect its relationship with the UN and the countries of the world.

[blue109]

Hello to all of the students in Prague!

I think this is a great question to ask because those of us living in the United States will have the opportunity to hear an outside opinion. Like most people have posted before, I believe the US needs to deal with its own problems before trying to be Superman and going to save other countries. Just like someone can't lend money when they're already in debt, the US can't help other countries with their problems until everything is secure at home. People in the US tend to think that we are the leaders of the free world, and this isn't necessarily true. The US is certainly a wealthy country, so some people may think we have a responsibility toward other countries who are in need. However, it is foolish to think the US can solve everyone's problems. It is also very difficult to go into another country and be completely accepted and welcomed. The citizens of that foreign country may feel like the US is making a charity case out of them, or that the US is ignorant to think that they know how to solve another country's issues. The US should not see itself as "the world's policeman", because it is a bit arogant to think that one country has the right to control and punish every other country's actions.

The US has many issues at home to deal with, such as Hurricane Katrina, our economy, and of course our own poverty. The reason the hurricane was such a disaster was because we as a country were not prepared to deal with the aftermath. It would have been wise to perhaps bring troops home from Iraq, where things are only getting worse, and put them to work doing something with more immediate importance, like helping people to evacuate their homes, or setting up shelters for evacuees after the storm.

It seems like other countries around the world are coming to expect less and less from the US. The world has seen what has happened when the US has tried to intervene with other country's affairs: the failed attack on the Bay of Pigs during Kennedy's administration, the Vietnam War, and of course the Iraq War. The US has made numerous and serious mistakes during their "policing", and the world no longer trusts the US to come to the rescue and successfully put an end to whatever problem is going on.

[idontknow47]

First, I would like to say hello to the students from Prague who are posting with us. I am from Boston and I think it is a great opportunity to communicate with other students like ourselves who live half-way across the globe.

Yes, I recognize the fact that the United States is considered a "first world country," but so aren't a number of others. The United States needs to realize that they need to worry about their own problems before they go trying to fix (and sometimes causing) other country's problems. The United States is seen as the most poweful and richest country in the world, so it came as a shock when I read that "the infant mortality rate has been rising in the US for the past five years - and is now the same as Malaysia." When people think of Malaysia, people think of a third world country; a country that is poor, and, by certain stereotypes and statistics, should have high infant mortality rates. The United States usually isn't considered in such a category. The United States should help its own people before helping others.

Because the United States is better off than most countries, the US should help other countries (the fortunate should help the less fortunate). But, like ibiubuhky said, the US should help those countries who want our help; there is no need to impose upon a country when we are not welcome. The United States should aid other countries, disregarding whether the country is big/small or rich/poor, through the United Nations or if another country specifically asks the US for support.

I think that the rest of the world expects too much from the United States. To much of the world, the US is seen as the "world police" and has been viewed as such since after the two world wars. The United States cannot help every nation/country in the world, and therefore cannot solve everyone's problems. People think that because the US is a "first world country" that they have enough money and power to give to the "third world countries." Reality check: they don't. The US has to deal with rascism, poverty, and premature deaths just like every other nation across the globe, "first world" and "third world" alike. Like history has shown, all "powerful empires," once they reach their peak of power, face a decline. Look at the Roman Empire or Britain's empire (they no longer exist like they used to). Who knows, maybe the US has reached its peak of wealth and power and is on its own delcine. The next question therefore should be: like the US took Britain's spot on top, who will take over after the US topples?

[hawaii626]

Hello, everyone in Prague! I go to Boston Latin, and I'm really looking forward to hearing an outside opinion about these questions.

First of all, I think everyone in the US needs to read this article. I feel like as a country, we tend to look down on the rest of the world, and think that we're much better than other places, just because we're the wealthiest. This article clearly states that we have the same issues, if not worse, as the rest of the world. If, as a whole, we address and admit our problems, change will occur.

Having said this, change is very difficult, since we're at war. As is clear through Lyndon Johnson, domestic programs and dealing with a foreign war don't work well together. Right now, the US has a responsibility to its people to end the Iraq War as fast as possible, and then change the frightening statistics, particularly regarding healthcare. Drastic changes need to occur.

As many other people have said, the US needs to put aside (but not ignore) the rest of the world's problems for a little while, and change huge problems like the infant mortality rate. Once these things happen, we can cautiously go back to helping other countries, only if they want to be helped, and with the UN's permission.

I don't think that the rest of the world expects too much from us. After all, we are the wealthiest country in the world. (But, in my opinion, not for long..) However, we need to make significant changes at home before we do anything else.

[DeepThroat]

Hey everyone, and a special hello to the kids in Prague! I'm from Boston and I think it's awesome that you guys are here!

I've felt for a long time that the rest of the world doesn't know the United States. I feel like so many people think it is a land of opportunity that should share its opulence with everyone, but is such a snobby country that it doesn't care about the rest of the world. I realize not everyone thinks that, but that's how I think that so many people feel! I get so upset by that, because the U.S. does care!

I get so emotional about this, because I feel that no one likes us, whether it's because of the Iraq war, or because of jealousy, or whatever it may be. Every country has problems, and it's crazy to single out the U.S. We try to be the police for everyone else, but what's so wrong about that? We don't just point out their problems, we try to fix them. Let's face it, Saddam wasn't going to change his policies... What's so wrong with us giving time and money trying to make the world a better, safer place? The only people who don't like the real police are the criminals, so why should people with no reason dislike the "American police?"

In the end, I believe that domestic problems such as schooling and dissaster relief should come first, but we should use what we have to help others as well.

[ILPadrino]

Hello and greetings to all you Bostonians. I am a student in the International School of prague, and i have lived here almost all my life. I hvae always wanted to visit America, and i hope that one day will come. I am very excited and looking foreward to posting wiht you guys. So Hello again.
Lets start our discussion shall we?

Hearing the word America, I have always thought of as the ruling country that can do most things that people need. but as i read the article, alot of things shocked me.
From article;:"It reveals that the infant mortality rate has been rising in the US for the past five years - and is now the same as Malaysia. America's black children are twice as likely as whites to die before their first birthday." This i had never known, and would have never imgined something like this to ever occur.
Now you think why is it that in one of the most powerful countries in the world, there are the same amounts of children dying as in the "third World"?
An answer to this question is unknown to all of us, but some hypothesises could be that the govenment has done the right things at the right times. During Katrina, not only the president could of helped but other people in the government also.

Now one thing that rings a bell in my mind when I read this article, is that I think the U.S start to think about its own people more then helping other countries. Even thought the U.S. should still HELp the other countries but not go to war with them. I think the U.S sees all the was on this earth. But does not see the war in between themselves.

I think that the U.S has only one responsibility(my Opinion) that it should take care of itself. But Does the rest of the world expects too much or too litle from U.S? I say taht the reaction from the rest of the world is that if the U.S. To not do anything at all they say. HEy we need some help. But when the US goes in and try's to help( Example) In war, the other countries tell them to Back off.


Refering to one of the BLS students , Blue109 said "It seems like other countries around the world are coming to expect less and less from the US. The world has seen what has happened when the US has tried to intervene with other country's affairs: the failed attack on the Bay of Pigs during Kennedy's administration, the Vietnam War, and of course the Iraq War." And I also agree on this fact. That sometimes the U.S. Should Back off and mind its own Buisiness, only when asked to can go in and do the Job.

Thanks everyone, Im looking foreward to posting with you guys again.
Peace. :cool:

[Alca9]

Hi to everyone at Boston! I attend the International School of Prague and I'm Czech. I'm looking forward to everyone's views on things.

First of all, reading this article shocked me. It reveals what's going on in the US and how many problems there are within the country itself. The article shows that even though US is one of the richest countries in the world, it can't distribute the money well. I think that too much money is used on wars instead of healthcare or other necesities.
The fact that 20% children live below the poverty line is just unbelievable. What's amazing to me is that the US government is trying to get rid of poverty in the whole world when it has so much poverty there. Even though US has this amount of poverty, it has an advantage many other countries don't have - resources and a large income. In my opinion, if the gov't paid more attention to it's own people, it would be able to get rid of poverty and improve healthcare quite quickly.

United States' situation is difficult. The US is a world power, so it definitely has responsibilities to the rest of the world, but it has more resposibilities towards its own people. The problem is that whatever the US gov't does, the world will criticize it for the decision. But they have put themselves into this situation - the way they want to be portrayed caused it. They want the world to think they have no problems inside and they keep showing it by "helping" in other places.

If US wouldn't be fighting wars all over the world and it would be taking care of its people, the outcomes of Katrina wouldn't be so terrible. If US had the money it wasted on wars, it could save more poeple more quickly. They would have more food supplies, since they wouldn't be giving everything to soldiers.
I agree with what ibiubuhky said about US helping other countries, but not going to war with them. If the US tried to find another way to help, it would be great. If they used the money they used for funding the war for more useful things, people would be much happier.

[TT1006]

First, I would like to start off by saying hello to all the students in Prague. I am a student at Boston Latin School.

Now, on to the discussion. While reading the posts, I was completely shocked (but in a good way) by the comment from FIBE. FIBE stated, “I want to dare comparing America to a mother; a mother that cares so much about her children that she simply neglects herself. Because what the U.S. are truly in need of right now is caring about themselves.” When I read that statement, I couldn’t help but think that this is completely true. I would have never of thought of the United States in this way. We spend so much of our time and money trying to help other nations out that we forget about ourselves. We do not realize all the problems that we have. We have the same child mortality rate as Malaysia, which is just a complete shock to me. I never even knew this. This is something wrong with America when we can afford to help support other countries, but we cannot even help ourselves.

Over the past couple of years, everyone has had the chance to see that America is not at all perfect. Hurricane Katrina, being the most recent example, has showed everyone that the United States still needs to work a lot on its own problems. So many people died during and after Hurricane Katrina hit because we just were not ready for this kind of horrible event. There were not enough supplies for the people or places for them to go.

The article stated that 1 in 3 families(in America) living under the poverty line do not have insurance. This is too many people without insurance. People without insurance are more likely to not go to a doctor when they need to. This causes more health problems amoung people, which leads to more death. The article also stated, “And, in unusually outspoken language, it accuses the US of having ‘an overdeveloped military strategy and an under-developed strategy for human security’”. When I first read this statement, I didn’t know what to think. But now I understand that this is true. We focus so much of our time and money on the military and helping others countries out, but we do not think about our people in the Unites States, which we need to. Basically, the United States should try to work on its own problems before they start to involve themselves with those of other countries.

[KtySOR]

Greetings to Boston! I am a student from Prague. I am glad that we could share our opinions over this issue. Just an info about myself, I am not a good English speaker, so if you find any grammatical or awkward mistakes from my post, please be tolerant.
First of all, one thing that I am surprised from students in Boston is that most of you did not know the racial differences occurring in the United States before Katrina occurred. As us students studying in an International School, at least for me, it is an obvious fact that the United States suffers from these issues. It is no surprise at all. I would like to question to the students in Boston. Why didn’t you know these facts before? Why did you not know the racial difference and the “3rd world” inside the United States? What has kept you from knowing these facts?
As my fellow student in ISP (FIBE) points out, America does not see the forest because of all the trees. After what happened in Katrina, Americans should now see the US more objectively rather than subjectively. For too long some Americans have been in a closet under a light bulb and not know what is happening to people who do not share that light, who wonder in the dark. “Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely as white Americans to have no health cover”. “Child poverty rates in the United States are now more than 20 percent.” “The infant mortality rate in the US is now the same as in Malaysia.” These kinds of facts should be what the Americans should be hearing right now rather than “The American Dream”. They must explore outside of the light.
Also I could not help blaming the US government and the media. Why did the media and the US government hide these issues? I mean the US government, without question, must have known these things. Also the media, they at least should have had an idea of poverty inside US. Well there is a reason, for the government they want to hide these facts, because then the popularity of the government decreases. The media though, I do not quite understand. Why did they hide these facts before Katrina? It seems like the media is giving all the blame to the government. According to ‘ibiubuhky’ from Boston, the media constantly broadcast the after math of Katrina, and constantly blame the government. Well what about the media? They are not the reason for Katrina’s disaster, but why did they hide the facts of racial difference inside USA? Or did media really didn’t know? Maybe those who are smarter than me from Boston or Prague could answer this question. I am not blaming the media for the cause of Katrina disaster, but I blame them for hiding the racial differences occurring inside the USA.
Thank you all for reading my post (and going through my bad English skills) and I hope you have a good day!
:D

[ChesireCat]

Hello everyone, I am an international student from Prague.

The shocking statistical proof the UN report provides on the US shows how the nation desperately needs to deal with its own domestic issues. As America has always been presented as a wealthy and prosperous country, information such as “The infant mortality rate in the US is now the same as in Malaysia” and that “America's black children are twice as likely as whites to die before their first birthday” is disturbing to all of us.

The main culprit for these facts, as the UN report proves, is not the lack of resources but the lack of equal distribution of wealth and social equality in the country. For example, although the American government spends a high percentage of 13% of its GNP on health care it goes “disproportionately on the care of white Americans.” Moreover, the percentage of the American population that pass a year without medical insurance due to financial inabilities also shows the unequal distribution of the nation’s wealth among it’s citizens.

Thus, I agree with the opinion of many others that America’s government should really attend to it’s own people. However, this does not mean that the US shouldn’t give aid to other countries. As a part of the global community, the greater your ability, the more responsibility you have to those around you. Plus, like Fireworks said, as the richest nation of the world, drawing out a small percentage of their GNP to help others shouldn’t cause any difficulties at all.

I also agree with ibiubuhky’s view that America should help improve the international community, but in an appropriate way and with the consent of other nations. Currently, I do not believe that the rest of the world is expecting too much or too little from the US, but more that the US is expecting too much from itself (i.e. it’s ambitious goals to bring democracy to the Middle East with the Iraqi War.) The US cannot only have the correct motives; they also need to have suitable methods.

[cara13]

First off, hello to all of the students from Prague. I am a Bostonian, and have been all of my life, and I am looking forward to hearing your opinion on this topic, especially because you have a very different perspective on the issue.

The U.S., for many years now has been viewed as the richest and most powerful nation in the world. Whether or not this is true, this title comes with responsibilities and a certain role to play in the world. I believe, that because we have this role, yes, we should be helping other countries in need, I think this is our responsibility. Of course, our first and main priority should be taking care of and protecting the citizens and people of the U.S., which i believe our government has been dutily doing at least sine 9/11. Both 9/11 and Katrina opened the eyes of Americans and the world that the 'most powerful nation in the world' is not invincible. We have our own problems, just as any other country does. The Vallely article also stressed more of these internal problems.

The Paul Vallely article made me realize these problems. While I realized that they were there (no nation, no matter how wealthy has its own conflicts), I had no idea that they were that bad. Our government needs to focus more on domestic affairs, but I also think that we still need to have a major role in foreign affairs as well, because of our position in the world. In response to FIBE's post that America doesn't pay much attention to ourself, I believe we do pay attention to ourselves. When dealing with Foreign Affairs, domestic American interests are always at the heart of our government. That is not to say that I still believe we as a nation should focus right now more on our affairs at home, but still remain a fixture in foreign affairs, because we have the responsibility as one of the powerful nations in the world to do so.

Valleley's article also highlighted the racial and economic divisions in our society. I don't think these facts should really surprise Americans that much. These issues have always been prevalent in our society, but I think the media is especially focusing on them now after Katrina, nevertheless they have always been there and I think the government needs to take steps to improve such conditions.

In response to the question does the world expect too much from the U.S. I am very conflicted about it. Because we are a powerful nation, there is a role we have to kind of help other nations. I think we should maintain this role , and yet sometimes I don't think it is our place to help. Our number one priority, not matter what should be our country.

[ilikeorange]

Hello to all of the students from Prague! I'm from Boston and I'm really happy that you guys are joining us in this post! :)


I agree with a lot of what everyone has said here so far, but the analogy that first caught my eye came from FIBE: "What Katrina showed is that the U.S. are like a bubble: They are trying to operate as much they can on the outside of the bubble’s border, they are impervious to any threat that comes from the outside but however, they are just as vulnerable as any other country when it comes to threats on the inside of the bubble." I believe this is very true. At times, it seems like the US is much more interested in helping other countries than it is in fixing its own problems, and Katrina certainly exposed this to the world.

Our country does so much to advertise what we're doing in other countries that our own internal problems become neglected or overlooked by the citizens. We become so interested in what we're doing overseas or beyond our borders that we forget what we need to deal with here at home. I feel that in a way, we spend so much time trying to prove to the rest of the world that we aren't as snobby and arrogant as many people think we are that we lose sight of our own domestic issues. Katrina really drove that home for me--we have our own serious problems with poverty and illness; shouldn't we concentrate moreso on that than poverty and illness in other countries?

Pixiestixmixer made a good point when they said "We should help ourselves before we help others." If we can't even take care of ourselves, then what good is it to help others? If we continue on like this, we will soon be so out of shape that we wont even be able to help ourselves OR other countries at all.

With that aside, however, I think that whenever the US is able to, we should be helping other countries around the world, and its good that we do put effort into that. It shouldn't be too much to ask for the wealthiest nation (at the moment anyway) to help others when we don't have any major issues that need attention at home.

As for what the rest of the world expects from us, I have a lot of trouble trying to figure this out. It seems that half of the time the world wants us to stay out of their affairs and problems, but when we do stay out, they criticize us for not helping enough. It's hard to say whether the world's expectations of us are too high or too small, because the opinion seems to fluctuate a lot.

[porpus3]

Hi Guys!! I’m from BLS, hello to all of Mr. Crane’s students, its great to talk with you guys!!

OK, first I want to say that I think it is very interesting that several of the students from Prague were shocked by what they read in that article. I also was shocked! I had no idea that our infant mortality rate was so high or that black children are so much more likely to die then white children. Is this really the United States?? Where there is supposed to be equal opportunity for all and everyone is treated the same? Clearly Katrina showed us that the United States is not living up to those expectations.

I also believe that we are no longer the greatest country, I’m not sure I ever believed that but after recent events my doubts are confirmed. China has made huge advances in technology and America is paying no attention to our Asian neighbors. We are not giving them congratulations or asking for help. I think the United States is an arrogant country not willing to ask for help or recognize when others are better then us.

I recently heard a statistic, which may or may not be true, that Bill Gates is so rich that he could give every person in the entire world seven dollars and still have more money left over then Oprah and Justin Timberlake combined. This might not be true, but if it is true that is disgusting that someone has that much money and yet we still have tons of people living in poverty in America. I think that the United States should have the responsibility of helping their citizens. We need to make sure that as a nation we help our neighbors and fellow Americans. I disagree with Pixiestixmixer and ilikeorange;They said, "We should help ourselves before we help others." I think we need to be able to help ourselves and other countries. The United States does not want to be seen as the country that only thinks of us and no one else.

During the aftermath of Katrina several countries offered us aid and we turned it down. It is time for America to admit that we may not be the greatest nation and we do need to look to other countries for foreign aid. And just as those other countries offered to help us, we need to help others, the rich countries and the poor countries.

[GreyOwl]

Hey everyone, especially the ISP students. I’m a BLS student, born and raised Bostonian.

The U.S. is now being forced to see its problems at face value, and it’s not pretty. KtySOR posed the questions, “Why didn’t you know these facts before? Why did you not know the racial difference and the “3rd world” inside the United States? What has kept you from knowing these facts?” We live in a very different part of the U.S., and although New England has its share of poverty, it does not compare to the problems down south. We don’t know about the racial disparity because the way to get our information is through the media. In this case, KtySOR also brought up an interesting point about blaming the media. What does the media choose to cover? What it thinks people care about, and poverty in the south just didn’t happen to be the ‘hot topic.’ The New York Times actually apologized for not having covered the poverty problem more. So yes, the media was partially to blame.

It is common sense that the U.S. should attend to its own problems before it goes hopping around being the savior of democracy. It has not been attending to its own problems well, but nor has it really been attending to those of other countries. The U.S. did not save Rwanda, it let 800,000 people be murdered, the entire time knowing exactly what was happening (they knew more than during the reign of the Khmer Rouge or the Third Reich). Why didn’t they help? Because there was no economic investment in the region, and Clinton could ignore the problem without suffering much political damage. They did not help because it was not in their self-interest. The U.S. helps the international community when its actions will help the country, whether financially or by pumping up its image. Self-interest has always been there.

Let this not be the excuse the U.S. can use to not interfere in countries that need our help. Let us not forget what is happening in Sudan right now. The U.S. has to find the right balance. Its priorities are its people, but it also has obligations to other countries, mainly in coordination with the UN.

The international community does expect too much of America, but the U.S. has given off that particular image. The reason America is being compared to a third world country is not because it spent all its money on international efforts, it is because of a deeper, still unclear reason. What citizens aren’t riled up about, the government can ignore for the time being.

[Sledge]

Hello and Welcome to those of the International School in Prague! I'm a Bostonian and happy to be. I greatly look forward to reading the reactions and opinions of those of you in Prague, they, as the oppinions of everyone on this site, are very well appreciated and valued!

The United States has an obligation to its citizens. Personally, Im all for The US Government helping other countries and all that, it needs to stop atrocities when it can, preferrably by diplomacy, and all that. However, the government of the United States should realize that its first responsibility is to its own citizens. For the infant death rate to be as high as it is, let alone comparing it to countries like Malaysia, which have no where near the resources we as a country have, is atrocious. We hold ourselves to a high standard, to be one of, if not the most powerful and prosperous country on earth. We cannot be such a country without our citizens. A country is not only defined by its high class. We cannot as for "tired, huddle masses" when we cannot take care of those we already have. Is the government to blame? They're not regulating our health care, they're not addressing these issues of race and descrimination. I'm a minority, and the fact that black and hispanic babies have such a smaller chance to live past one than white babies do is horrible. "That all men are created equal"? We may not have lived up to those words when the country was founded, but I thought we were becoming that enlightened society that looks past skin color and race. If so, why are these numbers on the rise? I try not to look at race, I wasnt too big a fan of Kanye West when he said what he said, but with this, it's necessary to bring such things to the surface. Descrimination is still rampant, just much more subtle, and that, my friends, is the most dangerous way to have such things. It goes unaddressed. KtySOR posed an excellent question. Is the media to blame? In a way, yes. It waters down the issues in some cases, and in others, blows it out of proportion. People who depend on the coverage from the media can no longer trust fair and balanced, impartial coverage. The media is more after ratings than it is to bring others truth in as much veracity as possible.

The United States needs to refocus its efforts. Citizens on the homefront need to be healthy to provide for those elsewhere. We have the power to help others only when we have the power to help ourselves. We cant try to remove a stick out of another countries' eye when we have a log in our own.

What do other countries expect from us? They expect somewhat what we said we'd give. We want to be a world leader, we have to take the responsibility for such things. If I may rip a line from "Spider-Man", "With great power comes great responsibility." The government needs to use this power correctly. And I dont simply mean the president, but the entirety of our government body. It's a wonder that we seem to be soignorant of History. Some of our founding fathers of this country, though they were also human and guilty of hypocrisy in many ways, had the wisdom enough to keep the United States out of conflicts which would have taken an unstable republic into turmoil. We're reaching a point where this might again be the case.

Up here in the north in Boston, though we do have our share of poverty, it is not as severe nor, now, as publicly shown as in places such as Louisiana, fortunately. However, we are as responsible as any other state for the state of our union. We need to take care of our own country before we start into any more upscale "good-will projects" in other countries. If we want to lead, we need to respond to those we're to be leading, not disregarding them. “UN Hits Back at US..." is not how we're supposed to be uniting in the UN. Flat out, we need to get things straight at home if we're to successfully unite to help others elsewhere around the world.

[piratemonkey]

Greetings from Prague! I look forward to arguing with all you Bostonians. ;)

So the bigger question is this: what responsibility does the United States have to the rest of the world? To its own people? To other nations, big and small, rich and poor? Does the rest of the world expect too much or too little from the United States?

First of all I must say that it’s extremely hard for me to judge whether or not the US has a responsibility to the rest of the world. As long as America continues to play the role of the worlds policemen, other countries will expect them to aid whenever possible-thus the world does not expect too much of the United States. Personally, were I leading one of the worlds most powerful countries, I would be incredibly concerned that the infant mortality rate were the same as Malaysia’s, and I would pay more attention to the problems closer to home. On this note, it is difficult to decide whether America has a bigger responsibility to it’s own people, or the rest of the world. As a nation, its first and foremost priority should be the welfare of American citizens. As a world leading power, with convenient access to funds and resources, it also has to consider the problems of others in need.

Despite the fact that America has a responsibility to the rest of the world, it is imperative that America begins solving its own problems before tackling issues in other countries. For how can they judge other countries for providing poor healthcare if Hispanic Americans are twice more likely than white Americans to be uninsured? Or, how can America demand other countries to take care of poverty, when the percentage of its own child poverty is now 20%? The huge gap between the successful and the poor is unacceptable, as is the lack of equality among races. If black mothers are twice as likely as to give birth to low birth weight children, and these children are more likely to become ill, and finally twice as likely to die before their first birthday, there is a serious dilemma that America should be addressing but is refusing to. Amazingly, it took a huge hurricane to open the eyes of the majority of the population and show them that racial inequality is America’s reality. Hopefully now that the public is aware of their domestic problems, some progress will be made in the direction of a more equal and balanced nation.

Like most people have posted before, I believe the US needs to deal with its own problems before trying to be Superman and going to save other countries. Just like someone can't lend money when they're already in debt, the US can't help other countries with their problems until everything is secure at home.

I absolutely agree with blue109 on this point. Superman cannot save people while under the influence of kryptonite (excuse the geek in me) just as America cannot afford to spend millions of dollars on the war in Iraq while parts of the country are similar to the third world countries they are working so hard to improve.

Ciao for now…long live the pirate monkeys!

[raspberry789]

Hello, students of Prague! I am a student from Boston Latin School and I am very excited that to read your points of view on issues we will be discussing.

After I read the article, I found myself not as surprised by the poverty rates in the United States and reading quotes such as, "A baby boy from one of the top 5 per cent richest families in America will live 25 per cent longer than a boy born in the bottom 5 per cent and the infant mortality rate in the US is the same as Malaysia, which has a quarter of America's income."
Although we are a rich country, I am very aware that we have many problems The U.S. is well off, but it still has its own imperfections, as every country does.

So when it comes to the question of whether the U.S. has responsibility to the rest of the world, I find that we are expected too much of by other countries. Yes, we have wealth and can give to help the unfortunate. But why are we expected to, when we have some of the same problems as 3rd World countries which we give money and help to? For example the United States has the same infant mortality rates as Malaysia and child poverty rates are now up to 20%. It is not fair that we are expected to give, when we have our own problems that we must address.

Of course I believe that everyone has morals and therefore should have a responsibility to help the unfortunate. But why should the U.S. be expected to just give and give, and get nothing in return?

[nellyrox]

First of all I want to say hello to the BLS students :D I am a student from Prague who is willing to read the responses and or the opinions the BLS' students have written. I want to say that I have visited Washington DC in 2004 during the election, and I have seen some experiences that I would like to share as I respond.

After reading the article, believe it or not, I was not shocked. I already knew the feelings of blacks and whites towards each other. I figured it out when I went to Washington D.C during the election. Because my mother is a journalist, she had to interview some people on whom they wanted to vote for, whether to John Kerry or to G.W.Bush. I went with my because she wanted me to experience differences people have between each other. Almost all the white people we have interviewed wanted to vote for Bush and all the black people wanted to vote for Kerry. I remember how a white woman shouted "Give me a break!" to a black woman whom we were interviewing. And they started arguing. The black woman was shouting that Bush is for white people not black and that he is also for rich people not poor. I did not really understand what teh black woman meant by it, but now I really do get her point. I can see her point, one example which would support what she had said is the Hurricane Katrina. It took place in New Orleans right? and most of them are blacks right? why did it take Bush 4 or 5 days to get there? It explains everything. I also agree with ibiubuhky, that "the United States alone doesn't have a right to take over different countries or spend money going to war with them. There is enough that the US has to worry about internally right now and they should just focus on rebuilding New Orleans and bettering the situations for the current US citizens." Now, coming back to our question, "what responsibility does the United States have to its own people?" I think that everyone in the U.S should have equality all blacks, whites and Hispanic Americans. As it had said in the article, that "the only way to eradicate poverty, it says, to target inequalities." The only problem in the U.S is racism, I am not just making it up though, it clearly shows in the article as well... "Blacks in Washington DC have a higher infant daeth rate than people in the Indian state of Keral. Throughout the U.S black children are twice as likely to die before their first birthday. Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely as white Americans to have no health cover." I am not saying that all the whites are the same or that, all the blacks are the same because I have a white American friend who supports the blacks more than whites and that he is really ashamed to be a white American. There are a lot of different people, so I am not judging anyone. ;)

I again agree with ibiubuhky by saying that "the US should participate in helping other countries, but in association with the UN." but to tell the truth, I think that the US should make it's citizens equal and when everything is good inside the US then they can worry about others. There was a white American woman who gave english lessons to my mother, because we were foreign exchangers in Prague. She was a teacher and knew a lot about the education of the United States and she told her that some parts of U.S' schools do not have enough books to give to the students, so 2 or 3 students had to share one book, which is quiet surprising when the U.S say that they are the 'richest'. I did not make this up and I don't think that my mother's teacher made it up either, because who would spread a rumour to make a bad name out of their own country?

I am not so sure if I can answer the last question which is: "Does the rest of the world expect too much or too little from the United States?" because I cannot predict. I have never heard the rest of the world expecting too much or too little from the US or not expecting. If anyone knows, I am happy if you can let me know about it :rolleyes:
Thank you for reading my posting and I am sorry if I used you as an example ibiubuhky, it's just yours was the same opinions I had. Hope I didn't offend anyone. Peace, love and EQUALITY to you all!! :cool:

[simpleswtz]

Greetings to everyone from Prague! I am a student from Boston Latin, and I think it’s truly wonderful how we are able to optimize technology and discuss with one another through the click of a button. I look forward to reading all of your comments and views, especially on this topic. :)

America is seen as the most powerful nation on earth, and yes, this is an extremely honorable title to receive. Yet it is also a disastrous one, for it has the ability to emphasize weaknesses within the country. Because we have the expectations to aid to the less fortunate countries around the world, the “Third World” countries, we sometimes disregard our own nation’s needs—not even desires, but needs.

I was stunned after reading Vallely’s article. As most people already brought up, the most shocking part of the article was the realization that “The infant mortality rate in the US is now the same as in Malaysia.” Why were so many ignorant of this fact? Why did this important piece of information only hit us now? Were we so drenched with the thought that we were the powerful, “policeman of the world” country, that we didn’t think we had problems of our own? Comparing our nation as an equal to that of a 3rd World countries is dreadfully appalling. Why did the awareness of the state that our country was in only hit us after Katrina?

Americans need to stop gleaming in the sunshine, and rather, take a step in to the dark for a quick slap of reality. I like KtySORs metaphor for it when he/she says, “For too long some Americans have been in a closet under a light bulb and not know what is happening to people who do not share that light, who wonder in the dark…They must explore outside the light.” We may be more powerful and a lot richer than other countries, and therefore we are expected and seen with the responsibility of helping Third World countries, but before doing that, we must use our resources to solve our own problems first and foremost. The rest of the world expects too much from us. We need to prioritize when it comes to lending a helping hand. While assisting other countries, we need to keep our own needs intimately in the back of our minds.

We are not as invincible as we would like to believe. Other countries may desperately need our help, but we need to realize that in helping, we must help ourselves first.

[Eniram]

Hello Prague Students! I’m from Boston, and proud of it!! Thank you for your thoughtful posts; this will be interesting this year.

I have been very upset by a lot of what people have said in this round of posts. Yes, we obviously have an obligation to support our own citizens, but if we come under attack from terrorists, then, hey, there won’t be ANY people to support!

MONEY SPENT ON THE WAR IS NOT “WASTED”!! It’s insulting to the entire war effort that people would even think of saying that. How were we supposed to let Iraq and Afghanistan continue living under terrorist regimes? How could we let them continue to TORTURE even their own people, forcing them to live in fear every day? It’s our MORAL responsibility to mankind to protect these people; how can you argue with that?

And is anyone else looking at this whole timeline: how the war began YEARS before Katrina? We’ve invested so much time and money in the war that it would be entirely stupid to stop funding and fighting now. The country would crumble back into some sort of tyrannical dictatorship, because it has not yet learned the concept of “democracy”. Some of you have mentioned that the U.S. should intervene in the world without using military action, but how is this possible in lands where order is not respected, and the guy with the biggest guns is the one that people will listen to?

The race issue: “The health of US citizens is influenced by differences in insurance, income, language and education. Black mothers are twice as likely as white mothers to give birth to a low birthweight baby. And their children are more likely to become ill.” Well, doesn’t this show WHY the infant mortality rate is twice as high for blacks? Because the babies aren’t born as healthy? And how does the government control individual birth situations? Also, in response to Nellyrox, (just to clarify, no offense intended :-D) the statistics you gave don’t show racism, they simply show racial economic inequality. The fact that the federal government took 4-5 days to respond to Katrina is not at all an example of racism; the fact is that the initial response to such a disaster is the responsibility of local, state and city government, not the federal government. I highly doubt that the federal response would have been faster if the hurricane had hit in a more predominantly white area of the country.

Please don’t think that I’m unsympathetic to Katrina victims or those without healthcare. But instead of just giving everyone healthcare, shouldn’t we be working on work-training programs so that people can pay for their OWN healthcare? The U.S. has an obligation to work on internal programs, but the budget for that is completely separate from that devoted to national security and the military.

I’m so sick of people insulting the military and the U.S.’s management of it. And to those who said that we should bring back the Iraq troops so that we can rebuild New Orleans, we DO have troops there, and they are doing a LOT. We have Marines, National Guard, Army . . . everyone is working down there. It would be irresponsible to pull the established Middle Eastern troops for something that can and will be taken care of by stateside troops.

If the U.S. didn’t help other countries, it would be called selfish, looking out for the needs of only its own citizens. Yes, the world expects a lot of the U.S., and we don’t expect nearly as much from the world. It is our moral obligation to try to intervene when problems arise; if we don’t do it, who will?

America is a great country. I know we have problems, but people tend to look at these problems instead of how many things we DO have. Be thankful you’re here; if you don’t like it, MOVE! God Bless America.

[fresita28]

Hello to all the students from Prague, I'm a student from Boston Latin School and I'm really excited to have the opportunity to share opinions with one another.

I agree with a lot of people's opinion about the world having the misconception that the US is this great nation that has no economical problems. Even some Americans themselves believe the same thing. I come from another country and I've seen the realities of two different worlds. I have to admit that many people believe that just because you're from here or live here then automatically life is so much better.
After having spent half my life in here and half my life there, I think I know why there's that belief. It's true that this nation has more opportunities than other "3rd world countries", the type of poverty that's seen here, for the most part, does not amount to that of other nations. However, many of us, including myself are blind to the realities of poor towns in the South for example. After hurricane Katrina we have been exposed to the neglection of those areas by the government.
I do support a lot of the contributions that the US does for other nations that are less fortunate. Sometimes though it does jeopardize the people back home.

According to the article, "The US is the only wealthy country with no universal health insurance system. Its mix of employer-based private insurance and public coverage does not reach all Americans. More than one in six people of working age lack insurance." It's shocking to know based on the multitude of resources and money this country has, there are people with no insurance. When people think of the Us, they only think about how rich and extremely powerful it is, I even only believed that as well. Many of the areas who do suffer from poverty are not displayed or talked about much in the media. America is known as the land of opportunity because its own history, its commencement as a nation corroborates to that, and perhaps that's why even some Americans blind to face that there is poverty here as well.
I don't think the rest of the world should expect something but I also don't think that the US shouldn't help others in need. I'm just beginning to see the poverty in this nation, so it's difficult to establish a set opinion. Every country has its faults, corruptions and wealth. I think that the US should take better care of its own internal issues but still not neglecting the rest of the world as well.

[I Wor Kuen]

hey all, I'm an American from BLS

First and foremost, I'd just like to address the USA as a mother image. It's completely false. The US supports and gives aids to countries to receive immediate benefits, not out of the goodness of its heart. A mother takes cares of her children out of love, out of good feeling, not out of a sense of trying to get something out of it. And a mother most definitely does not decide on who she is giving her attention to dependent upon what she is getting back from said child, or at least, no good mother does.

Now on to the larger questions.

What responsibility does the US have to the rest of the world?
The same as any other country, no more no less. The US has a responsibility to contribute, as it is able to bringing up the lot of all mankind, to promote trade, cultural exchange and peace throughout the world because it is a member of the global community. Think of the world as a town with finite resources. One person has the most of everything, so some starve while he eats well. He has all the guns and so he is able to scare others. As such, the health of the community is not perfect, and there is much resentment, sometimes violently so, against the miser. Compare that to a community in which people share resources, everyone is able to take care of themselves, to live prosperously within their own little boundaries but when someone needs help, there is aid readily available.

What are the US' responsibilities to its own people?
The US is responsible for providing a good standard of living for every American, to make sure that the basic necessities of life, such as food, water, education and healthcare are made available for its citizens. A nation is a community and a family, it needs to be taken care of as such. The United States is simply not taking care of its responsibilities. The United States has more than enough money to provide universal health care, to stop hunger and to end poverty. But it does not. Rather, it spends its money on wars, by giving tax breaks to large corporations and providing subsidization to corporations that take jobs out of the United States. The racial divide in class is no surprise to me, the class divide in general is no surprise to me, and as we have a republican in office, I see no hope of it getting better any time soon. And if there's another republican administration after this one, it'll only get worse. That's what you get when you have a party in power that's in bed with big business.

I feel like I addressed the other two questions in my first answer, but I want to go deeper. The fact is, people constantly say the US is giving away too much money and taking care of the world. It is giving out a lot of money, but for concrete advantage, so said people need to stop complaining, as alot of what they enjoy as American citizens is wrapped up in that. (IE loads of money to the Saudis so as to have Saudi royal family support and oil). The world is never going to love the United States as long as it continues its policy of saying that it, and it alone has all the power. The US will not buy into the social contract by which a peaceful world can exist. It sees itself as the end all, be all, and unfortunately this is causing it numerous problems, as it takes unilateral military action on a global scale. It is the duty of the United States citizenry who view this as wrong to stand up and say so. Activism in the United States is not dead. When it dies, then so does any dream of democracy.

*edit* I /just/ saw the post before mine. And I needed to respond.

"How could we let them continue to TORTURE even their own people, forcing them to live in fear every day? It’s our MORAL responsibility to mankind to protect these people; how can you argue with that?"

Saudi Arabia, our closest ally in the Middle East other than Israel has numerous human rights violations because it tortures its own people, the people have no rights and because the Saudi Royal Family is a dictatorial regime that is only keeping power because it has the biggest guns. Said guns are funded and provided by the US. So... isn't it our moral responsibility to go into Saudi Arabia and save the people there? What about the Sudan? THere's a genocide going on in there and we're watching it happen. So it's our moral responsibility to go into Iraq and /not/ into Sudan? Don't get me started on China's human rights violations and the fact that they're our largest trade partner.

"The country would crumble back into some sort of tyrannical dictatorship, because it has not yet learned the concept of “democracy”. Some of you have mentioned that the U.S. should intervene in the world without using military action, but how is this possible in lands where order is not respected, and the guy with the biggest guns is the one that people will listen to"

And you expect the people of Iraq and Afghanistan to learn democracy any time soon? And if you haven't realized it yet, the US is the biggest guy with a gun in both Iraq and Afghanistan... THat's why we're listened to. And didn't we try to replace Venezuela's Chavez with a military dictatorship... not to mention numerous other countries' governments with right-wing military dictatorships all throughout the last thrity years.

"I highly doubt that the federal response would have been faster if the hurricane had hit in a more predominantly white area of the country."

So why did FEMA respond in NYC the day of the attacks?

"It is our moral obligation to try to intervene when problems arise; if we don’t do it, who will?"

Like Sudan, like Rwanda before, like in China now, like the poverty issues across the world. Wow, we really are filling out our moral obligations. When a country helps another, it is usually not out of any sense of moral obligaiton. When the US does it, it is never out of a sense of moral obligation, it is because we get a clear, concrete advantage from it. Understand that.

"I know we have problems, but people tend to look at these problems instead of how many things we DO have. Be thankful you’re here; if you don’t like it, MOVE!"

It's this type of neo-con rhetoric that would empty us of so many people who do good in this country. Liberals and conservatives /both/ care deeply about the United States, any type of activists must to do what he or she does. Their political views on the war in Iraq or whether they agree with either platform does not mean that they love the country any less. I am vehemently opposed to what you say, I am vehemently opposed to this president, this administration and the way I see the country is going. But I love this country very much as well. Therein lies the passion with which I protest what I view to be an abjectly bad government. Respect that like I respect your love for the country, even if you do not like my political views. Instead of asking me to blindly conform out of a sense of righteousness.

[wasandis]

Hello students of Prague : ) I am from Boston. It will be very interesting and cool to share this board with you.

I think the US shouldn’t have a responsibility to the world. Because if we start having responsibilities and helping one country to the next, when will it stop? How can we help everybody? I don’t know if we are capable of doing that. If we do begin to do that, then will our own country be left in the dust? I think it would be because if we start helping everybody, I don’t think we would have enough back for the US.

I believe the US should have responsibility to its own people, yet to an extent. Again for example, ending poverty. I don’t think we can help every single person rise out of it even if we financially could. There will always be somebody that will get themselves into that situation. There needs to be a balance of people who are rich and people who are poor. Because you need different people for all different types of jobs. Because I mean a rich kid who can go to college wont be working at a mcdonalds. But anyways, referring back to the article, I am a little shocked that people in the US don’t all have healthcare and that it particularly isn’t really being addressed by the government (as far as I know). It’s just ironic because if kids aren’t getting medical help, how will our future of our country look like? Children are our future but if there are more of them dying gradually, I don’t get how this came to be a problem in the first place. Yet anyways yes the US does have a responsibility to its people because essentially US is its people.

In reality, the US only helps other nations if it someway or another benefits the US too. For example we tried to help other countries to maintain democracy when the Soviet Union was still existing, in order so that our kind of government will live on. So again, if the US helps other countries for the sake of helping then, where and when will it stop? But ac05x04ccc made a good point about how the US can misuse their power rather than mutually helping another country. As far as helping other countries when we do we should definitely make sure that that country wants to be helped in the first place.

I think the world does expect too much from the United States. In my mind I’d really like to think that we can help everybody in the world but then again we be probably butting in into too many situations and getting ourselves into everybody’s business. It’s like everybody expects us to maintain world peace and its not easy. Because if we help one country then another country could hate us for it or something like that. I think other countries see us as the key to helping them because we can have the power to do so but it’s just almost impossible to help every country if they are in need. In addition, the US is often seen as the powerful invincible country but countries are too focused on that aspect to realize that the US does still have its own problems to deal with.

Sorry if I seem weird... :l

[tissuebox]

Testing…1…2…3…Hello everyone and welcome to the first post with BLS and ISP! I am a BLS student and, to put it in basic teenage terms, THIS IS SOOO COOL! I am looking forward to posting with ISP and to reading your views. Let’s get it cracking…

“No Deal: As the administration’s recovery plan for the Gulf Coast testifies, George W. Bush is no Franklin Roosevelt. He’s not even a Herbert Hoover!” Props to David Greenberg, a writer for the Boston Globe. When I read this headline in the “Ideas” section of the Boston Sunday Globe, I cracked up! My sister and my mother didn’t understand it, but to me, it was a joke and a half; a great start to my Sunday morning. Yet later on in the day, I had a cousin from a different country (I shall not identify this country for the fact that you guys will find me out) come over my house, and of course, this subject was brought to the table by me; a perfect chance to see what “they” really think of us.

When Hurricane Katrina easily exposed the leaks in the levees and the leaks in the government, the media was all over it. My cousin could not believe the images she had seen on the TV. I guess appearance isn’t everything. She was shocked to see that our system from crumbling from the inside out. With just a dash of water and a little bit of stupidity, the naive citizens of the United States (I being one of them) were exposed to the unexplained horrors that we were so “suddenly” face with. “It looked at first as if Hurricane Katrina would be a turning point. The government’s failure at all levels to respond to the plight of New Orleans- to say nothing of the racial and class stratification that the storm laid bare- seemed to have issued a wake-up call.” (Boston Sunday Globe p. D1)

So let’s get to the actually question: what responsibility does the United States have to the rest of the world? Well…I think We (the people of the United States) come first. Look at the world as one big family…with problems. Let’s say the US is the mom, and we, the US citizens, are its children. We come first, yet the rest of the family isn’t that far behind. The United States government should solve taxes before it goes bombing other countries. The US government should solve medicare and education issues IN THIS COUNTRY before anyone else. It’s not all honky dory and peachy keen over here. And now, we all know it.

The United States should always help a neighbor, but more importantly, its own blood.

[catcherintherye]

Hi to all the students in Prague, I am looking forward to posting with you!

First and foremost the United States has a responsibility to its own. Before the Bush Administration invades Iraq and helps the Iraqis (take oil) Why don't they provide free health insurance to U.S. citizens who can't afford it, give stranded victims of Katrina homes, and a most recent development, stop cutting into funds that provide college scholarships to thousands of deserving students to pay for Iraq; students who once graduated will be able to make this country and our world a better place.

The United States is one of the richest countries in the world and they CERTAINLY have a responsibility to the rest of the world. They are responsible for giving aid to third world countries as Tony Blair said. The United States has enough money to help out their own citizens as well as the rest of the world.

Currently there is a genocide occuring in the Sudan. In relation to the Clinton Administration's failed intervention in Rwanda in 1994, Bush said that he would not let the genocide in the Sudan continue. His exact words were : "Not on my watch." Well, President Bush's watch must be broken because it's past the time to act and nothing is being done.

Katrina has proven that the United States is not perfect and that it is just as vulnerable to disaster as any other country. This is a scary realization because it was always thought that something like Katrina could never break the country the way it did. However, the U.S. will rebuild, and far easier than some other country would under the same circumstances.

There is still so much poverty and hunger to eradicate in this world and not enough is being done by the U.S. A plan must be put in place to stop genocide in the Sudan and other parts of the world, eradicate Povery, hunger and disease, provide schooling , and stop war. The U.S. in conjunction with other stable countries can wipe out these problems. It's time to step up to the plate.

[GumPopper14Lyfe]

I would like to say hello and welcome to all those participating from Prague. I am a Bostonian from BLS and im very excited to be part of this discussion with all of you, to know your opnions on our country we call America.

For the most part, i know that America is NOT all its cracked up to be. from the beginning of US history, America felt it was its responsibility to be the "policeman of the world". I for one know that that statement is false. America tends to put forth a reputation of being the all powerful being of the world. America also tends to blur the negative characteristics that it has. America has no responsibility at all to interfere in foreign affairs. America needs to deal with its own business before barging into someone elses affairs. From the beginning, America took the liberty and authority to conduct its own rules and events that will try to "help" the other suffering nations. If seen from the eyes of other nations, america is an intruding force that causes destruction anywhere it sets foot. I personally think america needs to stop going into other nations to try to "resolve" problems that dont even belong to them in the first place before they make things worst. everytime america steps in, it seems problems become 10X worst than they originally were. because america has a reputation for being the most powerful nation in america, it sure does a bad job of messing up other people's countries. If we all stop to think, america is like any other country, except more power hungry. the past few years or so, america has shown its weaknesses. Even with its big macho man reputation, america is as vulnerable as any poor country out there. with the child mortality rates going up, america is proving to not be "working right".

America owes everything to its own people, yet america tends to take care of things in other countries before tending to things back home. After Hurricane Katrina and Rita, america showed that it isnt invincible. much of the money that is made in america needs to be used on its own people. america needs a new child care program, health care and all types of care for everyone. the most important things that matter are being neglected and if america keeps at this rythem, it will soon collapse.

Because america portrays itself as the "policeman of the world" it gives off an image to every other nation out there that america will do everything for them. that is not true. it is a false statement. america cant even take care of its own nation, let alone every other nation out there. I think that america doesnt owe anyone anything except itself. America needs to get itself straightened out before attempting to help others.

Other nations tend to expect too much from America despite its weaknesses at this time. But it seems that everyone in the world is finally realizing that america is very vulnerable at the moment and they dont expect anything from them right now at this point.

Now it is America's turn to ask for help in its time for need. whether someone will help the US or not is entirely based upon what other nations think of america. many nations out there think america is not to be trusted and they keep as far away from us as they can. other nations like England and maybe France will help because they are one of the main powers of the world. We try to help other nations in their times of need (whether successful or not) but i feel that when america, a HUGE supwerpower is at the point of collapse, other nations will stay away and not help us in our time of need.

To wrap this all up, i feel that america's false impressions of being the greatest nation in the world are taken for granted. America is as vulnerable to problems just as Malasia and Rwanda. America isnt a nation to fully depend on at the moment because of its many problems. Poeple's realization of america's vulnerability is becoming very evident and in a few years, America will be exposed for what it really is: The oh so Not powerful super power of the world.

[THENUMBER19]

Hello I am from Boston

So the bigger question is this: what responsibility does the United States have to the rest of the world? To its own people? To other nations, big and small, rich and poor? Does the rest of the world expect too much or too little from the United States?

The United States has a huge responsibility to the rest of the world which is not a good thing because everyone always looks to the US for military help when something is not going right in their country Somalia, Iraq, Bosnia all places where the US had no right to be there yet for some odd reason they were there to police the area.
The United States also has the responsability to help the people at home in their country take Katrina and Rita the US had to send supplies and troops down there in order to help to save some lives. The US has another big responsability to its own people.
I believe that the World expects too much from the US because of everything they must do, help with military and with trade, i think that if it weren't for the US some parts in the World wouldn't be functioning very well.

[Silver]

I just wanted to respond to ktySOR's question (and as an ante-script say that ktySOR's English is better than he/she thinks!)

"Why didn’t you know these facts before? Why did you not know the racial difference and the “3rd world” inside the United States? What has kept you from knowing these facts? "

Most Americans know about the race-based issues within the U.S. In our history classes we learn about slavery, the civil war, the 13th 14th &15th ammendments (equal rights basically), reconstruction, the KKK, lynching, segregation, the civil rights movement, bussing, and affirmative action. We see and experiance racism, hear racists jokes, and know that those in subsidised housing and on welfare are predominantly minorities.

I think the reasons why so many people were shocked by the article is that 1) we rarely read all of the statistics together and 2) haven't recently had a reason like a hurricane's destruction to force these issues up front.

Now I'd like to pose my own question. How can we call the U.S. a wealthy country, even the richest country, when it is hundreds of billions of dollars in debt? What exactly defines a wealthy nation?

[miniten]

what responsibility does the United States have to the rest of the world? To its own people? To other nations, big and small, rich and poor? Does the rest of the world expect too much or too little from the United States?

:D Hi, i'm miniten, from ISP. I would like to respond to ibiubuhky, in from Boston Latin in Boston (hence the name).The US has no responsibility to the world before it's responsibility to itself. There is no reason for it to help others when it is in dire need itself. The response to Katrina was a disaster. OK, not as many people died as they thought, but so what? That was not thanks to them. They (I'm not exactly sure who I mean when I say they) were responsible for the deaths of those people. Yes, it was katrina who killed them, but others might have lived if the response had been faster. Oops, I think I'm getting off topic a little bit. Anyway, America's first responsibility is to itself. There is no reason to go gallopping off to other countries, gallantly "saving" them from themselves, when they have probems at home. It makes them seem like they are doing it not for the country they're helping, but for how it helps their image. They seem blind to their own workings. Other countries come to expect the US to deliver miracles, and when they don't, they seem like they are the ones at fault. They are in a way responsible, but not entirely. They build their own image, but others believe it, including their citizens. Its all they know. So the US make themselves look good, which only makes their fall longer.

[crazypinktoes]

Hello there to everyone from Prague... I go to BLS... and I live in Boston!

In regards to the issues of poverty, and the United State's responsibility with the world and itself I believe that the U.S. should first set a standard. A standard of what we expect our own people to be able to live up to, then once that is met by all, we can become that model country that other "3rd world" countries. If we don't fix our own defects, we will only be seen as hypocrites.

The United States is responsible for the well-being of every American, or anyone who resides in the United States. Healthcare, jobs, money, residences, and a comfortable living situation is not only appropriate but a requirement that should always be met. It is only fair to those who believe in the “American Dream” to be able to meet those expectations and be able to succeed in life. Opportunities are supposed to be endless in this nation, therefore it is damaging to our own morals to realize that so many people are surrounded by poverty where instead they should be raising healthy families and communities. The United States brought on itself this idea of being the “most powerful nation on earth”, therefore it reasonable to say that our nation will need to get its act together and continue this legacy.

Since the Revolution, the United States has proved to the rest of the world what great achievements it is able to complete. Other underprivileged countries and even the more advanced nations have every right to expect the best from the United States. It is how it has built its name, therefore at this time it needs more foundation so that we will not collapse in front of everyone. Once our own impoverished people have ascended a level, and we begin to move forward with a more equal population, where every race and ethnicity has the same rights, then the U.S. will have enough authority to demand the same changes from less affluent countries.

The United States does not need to end its aiding of the other countries, but instead be able to balance the riches. Otherwise, there will be an increasingly obvious distort in riches that are spread throughout the countries. Let the U.S. be an older sibling, a roll model and one who strives to impress and aid the growing nations.

[DynamicDuo]

Hello students from Prague, I hear that most of you are from many different countries and I can imagine that that would make for a very exciting class! I'm from Boston and naturally a HUGE RED SOX fan!!! (it's our baseball team in case soccer's more prominent in Prague :D )

I can understand why the United States should have certain responsibilities if it takes on the title of world leader/cop. I can understand why many countries are comfortable bashing the US when WE fail to take action even while THEY stand on the sidelines. I can also understand why Americans demand so much from our government–whether it be for domestic issues or foreign.

However, understanding is one thing, personally I do not agree with the role and responsibilities America must take on as a world power. The truth is even when the situation at the home front is weak and suffering the US must continue with its obligations to the rest of the world and bear the burden of blame when things go wrong. When do we really get thanks for the things that go right? There’s also the question of whether we’re really the world leader anymore. Yes, the US has an enormous amount of influence in terms of military and diplomacy, but we can no longer declare ourselves the “richest” or most financially powerful in the world.

Just looking at our country today, the national debt has grown to mammoth proportions, social security is going under, unemployment rates continue to climb and there are still plenty of homeless, uneducated and dirt poor Americans all around us. The distribution of wealth and the power of corporations are beginning to resemble Gilded Age economics. How do we even begin to address these social and economic issues? How can we really get to the root of these problems and fix them while we’re distracted by wave after wave of foreign affairs?

Also, often times the situation becomes more complicated and sensitive when the US gets involved and we never seem to quite fix anything. Whether it be Israel, the Middle East, poverty and civil war in Africa–we have failed to truly eradicate the preexisting flaws and “fix” anything. That’s not to say that the US shouldn’t play a role in the world diplomacy but that the expectations and commitments shouldn’t fall so hardly on US shoulders. Perhaps we should reconsider our role of being on top since it makes for such easy criticism–we do too much, we do too little, spend too much here not enough there, etc etc.

UN’s report on world poverty may have been meant to defame the US but I feel it has instead given us good cause to reflect on the status of our country and decide which is more important: US citizens struggling daily or foreign conflicts that we have limited ability to truly help.

[cjn705]

The United States, being as fortunate as it is, has a huge responsibilty to the world. I feel the United States only helps when it feels like it, though. For example, the United States did not help Rwanda during the Rwandan Genocide and it did not help Ukraine during the Artificial Famine started by Joseph Stalin. It has, though, found great pride and reason in invading a foreign country and forcefully shoving in democracy into its system. Democracy cannot be forced upon a nation, especially one that has never experienced it. For example, after the fall of the USSR, many people in Russia laid in utter confusion after having taken a complete switch in the political spectrum from the left to the middle. If a nation decides that democracy would best serve its people, it has to gradually progress and fail in order to become succesful and truly democractic.

I feel that sometimes, though, the US is too caught up on being the world police to realize the problems it has in its own country. Maybe the government should focus more on health care, stem cell research, and increasing poverty before it tries to attack other nations. "God helps those who helps themselves" How can the US expect to help other countries when it still has severe problems of its own? The United States used to criticize Russia for its lack of democracy. After the our past controversial elections, the president of Russia said something to the effect of "..and you say Russia's democracy is flawed."

I think the world expects too little and too much from the United States. This depends on what part of the world you live in. The United States choses to help countries from which they can be benefited. For example, the United States "helped" Vietnam during the war in order to keep up with the competition Russia presented during the Cold War and to comply with the Act that said that the US would help any country battling commmunism. Yet, I have yet to see the United States help the many desperate countries of Africa which are destroying themselves. How can the United States benefit from helping poor Nigeria or Sudan or Rwanada. It can't. Therefore I belive thse countries have learned too expect too little from the US.