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America — Your People or Empire?
A Mix Tape
In his book — Has China Won? — Kishore Mahbubani, asks a really fundamental question —
“Should America’s primary goal be to improve the livelihood of its 330 million citizens or to preserve its primacy in the international system? If there are contradictions between the goals of preserving primacy and improving well-being, which should take priority?”
My answer is easy: improve the livelihood of the 330 million citizens. Stop trying to control the earth and all of its resources. It is too expensive and it will result in your demise.
Would we all have to live a little differently? I am sure there will be an adjustment. Yet, the country would not have to spend trillions of dollars trying to control the planet.
The country would have no more excuses on critical issues of health care, education, and the environment (they don’t any now, but I digress...). The country could actually invest in high-speed trains and get people out of those gas-polluting cars without forcing them to move.
Poverty
It is not just about poverty either. Many people, other than Americans, who are very poor, and/or homeless as well, are struggling. But for the record. Here’s the news on poverty. It is rising:
