How to Choose Which Lives to Save: An Analysis

The amount of evil that plagues our world is horrifying. Through the first few weeks of this project I have researched the United States' interactions with the global community. Because the United States is considered the super power of the world, I have focused on how the U.S. has dealt with this responsibility and what has been its’ goals as this entity. My belief is that as the global super power, the United States needs to find ways to promote democracy and lessen human suffering. The main issue that I address in my blog is how these goals should be accomplished. This is a complicated argument because of the emotional feelings that come along with human sacrifices for the greater good and the debate that surrounds the question of if physical violence should be used to help pacifistic leaders gain power.

The main issue of the United States role as a leader of the world is centered on how the United States should influence other countries. Political opinions differ on this subject because of differing beliefs of if life is worth sacrificing in order to save more lives. The previous administration seemed to believe that life was worth sacrificing in that in 2003 the U.S. invaded Iraq, but at the same time this invasion has not necessarily caused any less violence in the country up to this point in time. At the same time, there are many cases where the U.S. has taken the humanitarian route in order to provide support to other countries. This position is also debated because of the lack of success it has had in saving lives in violent areas of the world.

Because the U.S. provides aid to over 150 countries, one can ponder if being a super power is enough for the U.S. in order to protect the people in these countries by itself. I believe that the amount of human suffering that goes on in the world validates that the only way for human suffering to be decreased is to have a world effort to fix these problems. Sadly, world programs such as the United Nations and NATO have not shown the capability of having success at providing leadership to the world. Because of these failures, I believe that the United States' role as a super power should be to lead other countries into changing the world. I feel that this will be a very important responsibility for the United States in the near future because of impeding situations like Iran, Pakistan, and Darfur where the amount of aid needed is more than the U.S. can supply by itself. It must be a global motive to stop human suffering throughout the world. The problem presented through this opinion is the fact that there is no correct answer as to if the human suffering should be squelched through physical actions or humanitarian aid because of the negatives that come with both choices of action. The realistic fact may be that neither way of dealing with other countries lacks sacrifices, and both mainstream ideas will never be completely successful. Thus, maybe the most important thing to accomplish is to have the lessening of human suffering made into one of the priorities of the entire civilized world. The United States is the only country that can accomplish this task because of our abilities as the super power of the world.




Links

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/16/AR2009101603309.html
This site depicts the United States new policies in Sudan. It also gives rough estimates as to how many people have lost their lives and homes because of the genocide. It provides information on the effect that the genocide has had on the lives of the Sudanese citizens.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/17/AR2009101700479.html
This site offers contrasting opinions of what policies should be enacted in order to deal with the government of Sudan. It establishes how polices of the new administration are different from the Bush administration’s policies. The site also provides insight into how politicians’ views differ on how the situation should be handled.

http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/sudan/darfur.html
This site illustrates the major aid program that the United States uses for humanitarian purposes. The humanitarian aid is portrayed in terms of how the United States provides aid to the country of Sudan and the province of Darfur. It establishes what services are provided to the region in order to lessen human suffering.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0611/p01s04-woaf.html
Here is some information as to how the relief that is being given in the region of Darfur is unsuccessful. It gives reasons as to why this is happening and how improbable it is that the relief will ever be successful.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/11/AR2009101101554.html
This article illustrates how the current administration has dealt with foreign powers. The article represents the view of the United States foreign policy from foreign powers instead of the portrayal of the effect of our administration from our administration.

http://shelby.senate.gov/legislation/ForeignAid.pdf
This is a governmental packet of the Congressional report on foreign aid and how this aid will be used. It is in a PDF format.

http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/archive/who-gets-us-foreign-aid.html
This site gives a readable and presentable table of information concerning the amount of money that is given to other countries by the United States. The Site provides links to government information about the amount of money in the yearly budget that is set-aside for foreign aid.

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/101438.pdf
This site illustrates the amount of aid given to the entire African region. It also provides information on the goals that the government believes the money will accomplish with this money. It provides instructions as to how these goals will be accomplished.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/14/AR2009101402732.html
The site illustrates the events that are taking place in Pakistan. It provides information on how the U.S. is aiding the government in order to promote democracy, and how the U.S. has given aid to the country in the past. Also gives information on the lack of stability in the region.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/14/AR2009101400365.html
Here is an example of a group that has destroyed democracy through militaristic means in order to maintain power.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/09/AR2009100903191.html
This site illustrates how a third-world government is using its’ resources in order to keep control. It also presents Aung San Suu Kyi’s situation in Myanmar and how she is a promoter of democracy and her people.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5071966.stm
Here is information depicting what the life of a citizen consists of under a militaristic totalitarian government.

http://www.voanews.com/uspolicy/2008-05-15-voa3.cfm
Here are some ways in which the United States has provided humanitarian aid to Burma.

http://www.cigionline.org/articles/2009/03/should-world-force-aid-burma
Here is a theoretical policy that the United Nation’s has created in order to prevent human suffering.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/18/AR2009101802549_3.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009101802591
This site provides information on the increasing issue of terrorism that the United States will have to deal with in the near future.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1181629,00.html
This is a bias opinion of how the war in Iraq was a bad choice.

http://www.nysun.com/foreign/iraq-war-has-been-good-for-us-polish-president/63354/
This is an opinion of how the War in Iraq was a good choice for the United States. It depicts that the war has caused the U.S. to become more of a global super power.

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/what_is_nato.htm
This site explains a global agency that has been created to make the world a safer place. The site is the official website of NATO.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101900199.html
Here is site that illustrates how other countries are attempting to do their part in ridding the world of terrorism. It describes the aggressive military procedures that Pakistan is using to destroy the Taliban in South Waziristan.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/17/AR2009101700673.html?hpid=topnews
These are some statistics about the number of forces that the Pakistani government is employing in its country to offensively attack the Taliban.