Bush blows it again? Give the guy a break. I’m a political science major, and I don’t know the names of the leaders of India, Pakistan and Chechnya.

Then there was the article written by Tara Payne with the stupid comments made by students whose names I honestly can’t pronounce. One of the arguments made is that “They are concerned more about local issues, but at the same time, they are candidates for one of the most powerful countries in the world.”

Damn right, we pay more attention to local issues – they are here to serve us, not the world.

Take pol sci 358, and you’ll find out the the United States’ position on International Relations is directly related to “domestic affairs.” What we decide at home, the issues we vote on, the values and morals we hold and the people we elect are direct representatives of this constituency.

As for the government taking a more “proactive” approach, that’s crap. You don’t want the government taking a more “proactive” approach. Let me tell you why.

Every time the United States gets involved abroad, all the countries do is whine that we should mind our own damn business.

You don’t want the United States in India, Pakistan and Chechnya, because if we go over there, we’re going to do it “our” way. What you really want is “our” resources, “our” military, “our” soldiers, “our” money for your benefit, so long as it doesn’t affect how “you” think the world should be run.

It’s become a common notion that the U.S. military is the world’s police. Did you read Wednesday’s paper? Two U.S. Army divisions were given Fs because they weren’t war ready. With more and more missions, the effectiveness of our military has become a sham. We are a peace-keeping force. What a joke. We should be a peace-enforcing group.

Let me tell you the solution to the world’s problem. The United States should not take a proactive role abroad, because it’s not in our interests to do so.

If you think we should be involved, here’s how it will work. Get rid of the United Nations. It’s ineffective, cost consuming and too inclusive. With so many nations with differing viewpoints, nothing gets done.

The United Nations remains inept, pathetic, and has brought about more harm than good. Without the United States and it’s allies, the United Nations is nothing more than a deluded, inferior group of nations that think they have a real voice in world affairs – Pakistan, India and Chechnya included.

The United States should form an alliance with true democracies. It would exclude nations with false democracies such as those of Russia and Indonesia. It would condemn nations with human rights atrocities, with foremost priority on China.

When global action is required, the first avenues of implementation would be: diplomatic-seeking to reason with nations leaders, economic and military as the last source of action.

NATO used to serve this purpose but has of late become obsolete and needs to review its mission with the fall of Soviet Union.

Support for nations need not always involve the saying “Send in the Marines.” Rather, the alliance should look to prevent problems from happening in the first place. You want to know why so many nations are far behind the United States? It’s because they keep borrowing and are so busy paying the interest alone that they can’t develop and evolve.

As a step in the right direction and to show the “international community” that the alliance is sincere, they should pardon all debts. Just forget about them; they will never pay us back anyway.

But this won’t ever happen, because the world is afraid that we will “assimilate” everyone. Do you really want us to get involved? Because when it comes down to it, the reason why the United States is the sole superpower is because we have the best people in the world.

Our diversity makes us great. Our thirst for knowledge and greatness forces us to see beyond our petty differences for the good of our nation.

Sure, we have our problems: crime, immigration, poverty, welfare, social security. But when you ask yourself why so many people come to the United States, the simple fact is we provide the best life possible. It may not be free of strife, but it’s better than any life anywhere else.

When the leaders of India, Pakistan and Chechnya can give me the names of the leaders of Congress, I’ll personally make it my crusade in life to get the leaders of this country to know their names.

Until then, give the candidates a break, vote your conscience and who you think is the best person for the job, not because of their “Trivial Pursuit” knowledge of foreign names.

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Andy Gonzales

Junior

Political science