Running about the globe costs a lot of money. As of January 27, 2007, the US government has spent $3.6E11 on its efforts in Iraq alone. Granted, that doesn't really seem like a lot of money; it basically amounts to making every person in Pennsylvania work for a little over 9 months as a slave.

We need to find a way to make money from policing the world. Perhaps the US should assume governmental control of a troubled land and administer it as a new state in the union. Tax proceeds from the new state would help fund other pacifications as needed....

Originally, I thought of treating these costs as debt, but we have seen what happens to debt in poorly-administered countries. Any other ideas?

"Perhaps the US should assume governmental control of a troubled land and administer it as a new state in the union." Though a state is not quite the same as a colony I'm pretty sure that's how most of the world would see it. - David W

David...that was my first thought as well...It sounds a lot like American Colonial Imperialism (is that redundant?).

Sure looks like Imperialism, but I don't see any other Countries in a position to clean up messes. -- Patrick.

I agree we're in the best position to clean things up. I'm just not certain that making states out of nations that are falling apart would work. I think the people in the states would likely resent us in the short term. Over the long term if we did a good job they might accept us, but I don't think other nations would. Regardless of our intentions they would see it as a power grab. That would cause nations to ally against us. Where it would go from there is anyone's guess. I also suspect that if we started taking over nations we likely would start with the ones with oil and other natural resources. That would just exacerbate the previously mentioned issues. Though, perhaps I am being overly pessimistic. - David W

Well, instead of invading and firing everyone, we should co-opt the pre-existing structure, i.e. tell them that while all is forgiven, any future problems will end up with them in jail. That way, when we go in, we go in to own the place. -- Patrick.

Also, we all know our current method didn't work. We know that in the future, other coutries will go ape. What looks like the best way to deal with that? -- Patrick.

Murder them all. - Nathan

That is a joke btw ;) - Nathan

This is a bit of a dodge to your question, but I think a lot could be accomplished by undermining the power base for despots. If you accept the premise that many tyrants maintain power through control of resources like oil then investing heavily in research to make such resources less valuable (ie alternative energy sources) could go a long way towards stabilizing some parts of the world (assuming that research is productive). -- David W

David, that seems hard to balance, e.g. take oil, when oil costs a lot, we rulers with money and power like Putin, Chavez, and Ahmedinejad; when oil costs little, we get lots of unemployed youth willing to through their bodies at the Great Satan of the Moment. -- Patrick.

Aren't the youth already willing to do that? My guess is that they are all the more willing because we fund their oppressors. -- David W

The desire for revolution falls rapidly when people can buy houses and don't have to worry about getting shot. Attend to economic development and the Rule of Law, and the number of people willing to die should fall, benefitting us all. -- Patrick.

I agree. My premise is that oil wealth or rather it's side affects are retarding progress in those areas. I certainly could be wrong though. -- David W