Why can’t the U. S. ever mind its business?

Question

The U. S. sends all this money overseas and no countries send us anything back but problems. We have issues in our own country. That money can help homeless, veterans, better healthcare/medicaid, pets, and much more. The U. S. needs to mind its own business. We fight other people wars instead of our own.

WhiteSteve · Accepted Answer

Geopolitical strategy and maintenance and expansion of the American sphere of influence, largely. It comes with its pros and cons.

So let’s take a recent example, like DOGE. They cut a bunch of stuff from USAID and called it “waste, fraud, and abuse.” But a lot of that is extremely shortsighted geopolitically. Much of that on the surface is various forms of humanitarian aid to developing countries.

One of the ones they got all up in arms about and mischaracterized was some supposed “trans play”, in Bolivia or Ecuador…somewhere in that neck of the woods. And they stomped their feet and yelled, and said this is all to push the “woke agenda”, yadda yadda.

The problem is that, in that case, the play was just what a university CHOSE to spend money on, it wasn’t like America said “Hey Bolivia, take this $50k and put on a trans play at your local college, otherwise you can’t have the money.” They just gave a grant to theater program, and that was their play.

Now, you’re probably saying “But why give them $50k in the first place?”, and I’m glad you asked. The reason is because America wants to accrue goodwill in as many places around the world as possible. Whether that’s good or bad, or what it seems like it is on the surface or not is probably a can of worms we shouldn’t crack open here for the sake of staying on topic. But the general point is that it’s not done “just because.”

The goodwill that America gets is done in service of the idea that some other global superpower we’re competitive with will take our place and our goodwill if we don’t and leave a vacancy. China, Russia, etc. That can be a threat for any number of reasons, like military alliance and positioning, or access to resources we can’t produce at home.

Think of it like this: we entered into an essentially “no nukes” agreement with Ukraine like 30 years ago in the wake of their liberation from the Soviet Union and becoming an autonomous sovereign country. Not just us, but we were major players. And basically it was like “we got your back if Russia acts up, just don’t develop any nuclear weapons of your own and keep that shit to a dull roar globally.”

And now, despite the new administration all of a sudden making it unclear whose side we’re on, in a pretty cut-and-dry situation where you can see who the bad guy is (Putin, obviously), we’re here in what WAS an alliance with Ukraine against a known bad actor in Russia. And I’ll bet you even four years ago, let alone ten, did you ever think about or utter the phrase “rare earth minerals.” But all of a sudden we need that shit, apparently, for some new technology we didn’t have previously. And now we’re in a position where, if we do the right thing and Putin doesn’t really have dirt on Trump to control him, we can be the good guy, help Ukraine, and they in turn will give us access to these minerals we can’t obtain or can’t obtain enough of domestically.

Its all done with the hopes of a future benefit that we may not be able to envision yet.

Bklynbadboy12 · Accepted Answer

Your absolutely right I agree 100%

Caroline91 · Accepted Answer

Because like it or not, we live in a global economy and are no longer self sustaining as a nation. Isolationism hampers innovation, one of the cornerstones of US economic success. When American businesses are cut off from global markets, they lose access to diverse consumer bases, supply chains and, crucially, the international flow of ideas. It's kind of a Catch 22... We're damned if we do and we're damned if we don't.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Remember Iran has been attacking war with America for decades.

ThisDudeHere · Answer

"The U. S. sends all this money overseas"

More like it invests in infrastructure it itself set up over time for it's own geo-strategic goals.

"and no countries send us anything back"

The US insofar has been the only country to evoke Article 5 in NATO and practically every other member pitched in to help in the Middle East. Some of said members, such as Denmark which helped disproportionally a lot, was given the middle finger as a thanks when the whole Greenland thing was being talked about.

"That money can help homeless..."

The US spends roughly 3.5% of it's budget on the military. Roughly 19% or around 1/5th was spent on welfare. So, since you can't decrease the military budged to 0 and expect to not be conquered, at best you'd halve it and that'd still only be a blip added to what you then can add to welfare spending.

"We fight other people wars instead of our own."

You fucking start most of them and then the refugees end up here in Europe.

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

We have allies who don’t want us to mind strictly our own business. We also don’t want our economy to collapse, so financial allies are sometimes even more important than military allies.
The US economy is very fragile right now and our currency has been held up by the global market for too long. One of the many downsides to any fiat currency. If a single major economy elects to stop backing the US dollar, it could result in a cascade effect that will cripple the US economically. So we do our financial allies’ bidding in order to stay on their good side.
It’s actually a lot like owing a loan shark money. If you can’t pay, your benefactor might choose to let you keep walking if you do them a “favor”. As long as you can’t afford to pay them off in full, you will have to keep doing those favors or be crippled.
Now imagine that you have a family that depends on you.
That’s what even the most benevolent US leaders have to contend with as a direct result of abandoning our economic independence in favor of the greed of the global economy. Until we can once again self sustain, we’re going to have to keep busting kneecaps of people with whom we otherwise have zero affiliation.

ChicoFromThe305 · Answer

If Iran has nuclear weapons, trust me you'd want it to be your business, there's lots of terrorists in Iran and it takes a trigger happy country to extinguish another, the only difference is ours tries to keep innocent lives out of it, they broke a rule the US put on them and they are now receiving their slap on the wrist

RingOfFire · Answer

Iran has been kidnapping, attacking and murdering Americans for almost 50 years. There is nothing that is more America's business than finally putting an end to their assault on America and now is the perfect time. And in the process saving the entire planet from nuclear destruction by these Iranian lunatics.

You should get down on your knees and thank God that President Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the brave warriors in the militaries of the United States and Israel did the hard and dangerous work for you, while you lie in your comfortable bed sucking your thumb and complaining, so you won't have to do it yourself.

NathanDavis · Answer

we're all using devices that are 90% Chinese... we are getting something for our money... for sure

Effably · Answer

While I think most Us citizens are unaware of what they pay and not globally I largely agree with you.

While the US and Israel relationship has always been a bit strange, as in it is often unclear who controls who, it is rarely unclear that they are one unit. Israel is intended to be a proxy for the US. As such, involving yourself in their business is generally involving yourself in business you told them to start.

But I do empathize with you. I don't think many people want this.

Anonymous · Answer

The president is bringing that money home. That's what Doge was about, that everyone complained about, bringing U. S. taxpayer money back home.

dragoblack · Answer

Aside from the government makes the most money on military arms sales & trade, as part of the nuclear arms treaty at the end of ww2 the USA agreed, as that main country with the nuclear weapons, to be the main defense for our allies. Sadly the USA has abused that position for greed, control, and manipulation.

AviatorTom · Answer

Ever since the Monroe Doctrine in the early 1800s, the United States has played a role in global politics. Since both World Wars, the US has essentially been the world's peacekeeper, as well as the strongest economy, which helps other nations.

CaptainObivous · Answer

Because most politicians do the bidding of Israel and the Military industrial complex. As long as our politicians are controlled by Israel and the military industrial complex, we'll never stop being the world's police

goaded · Answer

The money the U. S. sends money overseas supports democracies, human rights, keeps people alive who would otherwise die; it encourages people to like and engage with the US.

godfatherfan · Answer

Why? Because of Republican's. Another Republican getting America into another war we have no business being part of.

Lynx122 · Answer

Here's a good explanation.

Anonymous · Answer

Unfortunately our world exists and thrives on chaos and obsolescence, planned or otherwise…

If all the world’s problems were solved, the puppet masters would have no means to enslaving us all. Sad but true.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Okay, if I'm walking through a park and I see you struggling for your life in a pond, I'll just mind my own business.

jshm2 · Answer

Because you clowns keep paying them taxes no matter how much they waste.

genericname85 · Answer

because like most first world countries, if you don't keep looting the poor, you can't continue living that wealthy lifestyle.

mfused411 · Answer

I agree with you! America should have let Israel nuke Iran 20 years ago, and who even gives a crap about Ukraine?

Lilly1979 · Answer

because George was Right about a lot of things.

Phoenix98 · Answer

That's easier said then done if only it were that simple.

The-Stud · Answer

Because every US politician is a slut to AIPAC.

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

Empires, even a rotting one like America, must use whatever military might it possesses to cower smaller nations.

Anonymous · Answer

Because the U. S. is the boss of the world. That's why it loves to interfere with and ruin every country.

Ariesman81 · Answer

This action is our business.

In_Trance · Answer

The US will always do what is real tells them to do

Anonymous · Answer

No but you can buy a one ticket to another country if you dont like it here.

SamWinchester058 · Answer

The world isn't "nice". It's dog eat dog. Accept reality or live in delusion.

Anonymous · Answer

There won't BE a U. S. if the psychos who run Iran, who routinely chant death to America, successfully get nukes.

Anonymous · Answer

The number of Americans killed in war over the last half-century is astonishing small.

Staximus · Answer

Because our government is stupid

eagle1951 · Answer

Amen

IHateBeingaMan · Answer

Post WWII mentality

RedInnocent69 · Answer

Being a superpower is tough that way

blackeagle007 · Answer

Everyone looks up to us.

Anonymous · Answer

I wonder the same...

robocop666 · Answer

The petro dollar wrote US foreign policy.

ambitious_male · Answer

Welcome to United States of America.

Anonymous · Answer

I agree with you. Fuck the rest of the world.

Anonymous · Answer

The world is our hegemony. DEAL WITH IT

Dongie · Answer

Like with Ukraine.

Kattsnaiper · Answer

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Why can’t the U. S. ever mind its business?

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