Return To Iraq And China

I don't mind the United States being a policeman for the free world, but it is time we are not the only policeman.on the beat. There are rumblings that the United States may need to go back into Iraq. I hope not and if we do I hope we keep our involvement to a minimum and others do their fair share.

The world is much more competitive than twenty years ago. Other countries are catching up to us economically and technologically. The United States has reached a point where we must think about our priorities before agreeing to increase spending in a specific area, such as defense. Every time a new spending request is in front of Congress, such as coming to the defense of Iraq, we must weigh the decision against other possible uses of funds.such as improving education or fixing infrastructure.

It is also a necessity that we lengthen our planning horizon. Long term for our politicians is their upcoming election. For China it is decades or even centuries. It is noteworthy as we bare the burden of defending foreign lands pretty much alone, China sits on the sidelines, continues to build infrastructure, pushes hard to educate its population and invests in their research and development.. This is by design.and follows a strategy they have used for centuries with a little twist for these times.

When is the last time you remember China getting militarily involved in foreign affairs? The only time I remember was the Korean War in the early 1950's.
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