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From: decot@cwruecmp.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Dr. Spock the Diplomat
Message-ID: <992@cwruecmp.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 12-Feb-84 17:58:27 EST
Article-I.D.: cwruecmp.992
Posted: Sun Feb 12 17:58:27 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Feb-84 04:25:55 EST
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Organization: CWRU Computer Engr. Cleveland, Ohio
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Thomas Ruschak:

    I think the main issue here is the fact that if we help the starving people
    of the world (temporarily), we also hurt ourselves (permanently).  I do not
    think the American people as a whole have the altruism necessary to do this.

What permanent (or even temporary) serious damage do we do ourselves by helping
people?  If you mean that it is wrong to help them only temporarily, then you
are correct.  We should help them until they no longer need it, for our own
good.  The American people as a whole do have certain kinds of altruism, but
they aren't presently too interested in the plight of distant others.
This is not impossible to change.  Make foreign culture a focus of education.

I tend to want the US's role in the world to be somewhat parental, nurturing
underdeveloped "child" nations until they can support themselves, and then
letting them go do whatever they want.  It is important to make sure that
these nations become self-sufficient before putting them out on their own,
and that they don't get obnoxious and arrogant and bother their neighbors.
We should also break up petty fights between children, offering cooperation
as a solution.  This is all taught on Sesame Street, but few adults practice
it.

If we don't responsibly help those in our care, they turn to other "adults"
for help, like the USSR, who is more than happy to "take care of them", but
for different reasons.  Beating a misbehaving child, like Nicaragua,
is not good for you or the child.  It only makes him run to an apparently
more understanding authority.

I do NOT advocate running around being holier-than-thou to nations that DO
NOT want our help.  But if we gain the reputation as an authoritative
power, they'll come to us if they need us.  This would strengthen our influence
in the world, and would help us become the Salvadors del Mondo we are always
claiming to be.

This discussion of underdeveloped countries as "our children" may seem to
stink of a nationalistic superiority complex.  This is not intended, because
good parents treat their children as equals, keeping in mind the facts.

Dave Decot		 "Non-Americans are people, too."
decvax!cwruecmp!decot    (Decot.Case@rand-relay)