Stop blaming the West

I have come across a rather refreshing take on the U.S. and Britain foreign policy. Th author points out that countries like Pakistan and others in the middle east like to do a lot of blaming and not enough taking responsibility for their own ills.

Honestly I think he nails it on the head here. When are we going to stop letting them lay it all on the west?

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Permalink Reply by Bryan B on May 25, 2011 at 9:30am

I still think most the countries in turmoil across the middle east spend too much time blaming and not near enough taking responsibility for themselves. They can blame the West if they want but where are the solution's that they are offering that aren't out of touch with reality?

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Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on May 25, 2011 at 9:36am

I agree Bryan but doesn't poverty equal turmoil? The US has the most control over the World Bank and IMF, so even at a financial level are we not somewhat responsible for the well being of these countries. Also European imperialism was the cause of much of the turmoil that lead to the poverty of these nations in the first place. I think Africa is the most glaring example of this.

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Permalink Reply by Reggie on May 25, 2011 at 9:36am

You should think more on it. It is not as simple as you are making it out to be.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on May 25, 2011 at 9:43am

Reggie, me or Bryan?

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Permalink Reply by Bryan B on May 25, 2011 at 11:34am

no it's not simple but the point to the article was: less blaming and more solutions.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on May 25, 2011 at 11:43am

My suggestion is for us to get the hell out of there and stay the hell out of there until they are civilized enough for civilized exchange.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on May 25, 2011 at 9:41am

Where are the solutions that we are offering that aren't out of touch with reality? "War on Terror"? "Spreading Freedom"? What is the point of trying to implement a solution when your government is most likely going to be overthrown in the next few decades either by foreign sanctions or CIA coups? Try to find a single person living in those countries who hasn't heard a story about their grandfather's role in the ongoing struggle for the nation to define itself. In the U.S. those grandfathers were civil war vets and their grandchildren are the grandparents of todays geriatric Americans.

It's really like me grabbing your hand, using it to slap you in the face, and saying repeatedly, "Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?"

They might stop blaming the west when the death toll that the west has unleashed comes to an end.

http://www.thinkatheist.com/profiles/blogs/iraq-war-civilian-fatali...

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Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on May 25, 2011 at 9:43am

Nail on the head! Also 6-16 millions American Indians killed. We have a lot to be responsible for and we are not.

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Permalink Reply by Sassan K. on May 25, 2011 at 9:47am

You guys are delusional (esp. Heather). Referring to "Native Americans killed" is naive, pointless, and has nothing to do with modern times. You guys really need to look in the mirror and wonder why you call yourselves atheist as you base your views on pragmatic idealism and past; and there is no one with more hallucinations and delusions than Heather. Sorry sweetheart, you think you know it all but you have no clue what's going on in the world.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on May 25, 2011 at 9:50am

Sassan so you are saying that history should have no barring on how we should behave or act as a society?!!! Do you truly believe that? Maybe if you were born an american indian or even a jew during either holocaust you would have a different view. And why "native americans killed" in quotes. It's a fact. Look it up.

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Permalink Reply by Sassan K. on May 25, 2011 at 9:55am

Every nation has a dirty past. It has nothing to do with the year 2011. Stop living in the past and join the rest of us in the 21st century. Now I have to go take my final, have a good day and I would highly recommend you watch those videos and we can discuss the content of those videos in a few hours when I get back.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on May 25, 2011 at 10:16am

Stop living in the past and join the rest of us in the 21st century.

So by your reasoning, if let's say you, oh I don't know, hit someone in the head, and as a result they go postal and kill your entire family, you can't say anything because according to you, history is irrelevant? So what you did had NO bearing on how they reacted? That is your argument.

If we do not learn from history, the US's, our teacher's, or even our parents, we will make the same mistakes they have made and will learn NOTHING. How can you say history is irrelevant? Zinn is turning over in his grave.