Interesting sentiment. It would be extremely beneficial for the individual countries to stay within their borders, but since we are a global "family" so to speak, there are pressures on the various governments to aid the oppressed, and some how impart on these peoples a better way of life. This is a premise that we cannot afford to accomplish.
The unfortunate reality is that we, the peoples of Canada, one of the countries that you are speaking of, feel that our government has a moral obligation to come to the rescue of these oppressed peoples; however, if these countries that we assist have not come out of the cave and this is 2011, then the probability of us influencing that country to a level of democracy that we enjoy (or not) is almost a pipe dream. There is also no amount of money currently in existence tat can achieve this aim.
There are a lot of persons who have immigrated to North America, became new citizens, but hold their new country in second place to the one they left. They do not want to leave their baggage at the door, and start a new and better life with only the good aspects of what they left behind to remind them of their rich heritage. Then there are those who have never lived in these countries that their heritage is based on, but they want the global masses to support them in wanting something better for that country.
If one immigrates to another country, there is a requirement to assimilate into that culture and accept what it is based on as the way you are going to move forward in life. Canada is one of the most liberal and forgiving countries in the world, allowing all types of political and moral freedoms not always enjoyed elsewhere. This aspect of Canada is very fragile, and not to be taken lightly, these are a privilege, not a right. The adage "be careful what you wish for" is very relevant when discussing and understanding these issues.
I am in favour of taking care of our own first, once this is done, then we can reach out and assist in the big world out there. The floods in Quebec and Manitoba, the Alberta wildfires, all are deserving of the monies we send to other countries. I feel we send too much money out of our country to assist others. I have yet to see those countries reciprocate in kind.
I don't quite agree with your thoughts on China. China will within the next ten years, probably have the largest and most powerful navy in the world. Its army and air force will also be a force to be wary of. China is not getting mad, it is standing back and letting us western type do-gooders spend inordinate amounts of money in the pursuit of stamping out terrorism and getting countries to a certain level of democracy. China is spending its money internally, bettering itself. China is not getting mad, it is biding its time, and waiting for the opportune moment to exert itself as a world force.
China is also holding North America hostage, paying lip service to our politicians and thumbing its nose at our policies. The only way to make North America competitive again is to make the cheap goods from other countries less attractive to north american buyers. Unfortunately, there is always two sides to this discussion and the one that impacts this sentiment the most is that the infrastructure in North America to take up the slack should this ever be done is no longer in place.
Apologize for the extremely long rant. Get going and one thought leads to another. Just my humble opinion.
Cheers
Ernest |
