Reasons U.S. gets itself it trouble around the world.
This scene is all too common and I'm sure you have seen this before. Well this scene plays out on the world scene every day and between countries. The U.S. has played the "Rescuer" role now for most of its existence, as it sees many countries as "Victims" of their brutal dictators "Persecutors". When we get involved as Rescuers to save the Victims, the Victims often turn on us, the Rescuers, and often Persecute us. This role switch confuses us and we feel Victimized by them and we pull back on our effort. This switching of roles by all the parties involved is also familiar and they have given a name to this psychological drama. It is called the Karpman Triangle. To read more on this go to: http://www.mental-health-today.com/articles/drama.htm
I raise this comparison because we, as Americans, are always wanting to rescue countries in the world for the many excuses we use like the following: The dictator has brutally killed his own people, the oil is of strategic importance to us, they may be building weapons of mass destruction, etc. etc. These reasons give our government the hype for the justification to get the population to support the endeavor. But understand that we are clearly involved in a game of psychological drama with no good outcome for any of the involved parties. When we take these positions, we are coconspirators in the design and acting out of the scenes. The payoff for us is to always feel victimized. We did this in Vietnam and we are doing it again in Iraq. We are speaking of doing this with the rest of the Middle East (to bring them freedom). And we have indirectly created Osama Bin Laden, I'm sorry to say. These dramas play out over many years and are not seen by most of us. It allows us to see the rest of the world as less than us, since we are now the super power (above everyone else psychologically and physically in the world and we claim morally as well). Globalization in some ways contributes to this as well. I do not understand enough yet to comment on this but will study it further.
There is only one way to stop these psychological games from being played out. That lies in not playing the games in the first place. We must stop trying to rescue the whole world. We must allow others to develop at their pace not our pace. We must only offer help when it is asked for and not give it freely when the help has not been asked for.
We have a chance right now to do it right. The G8 are meeting and Tony Blair of Great Britain has asked the US to help wipe out hunger in Africa. The Africans have asked for help from the G8. Blair has asked the G8 to forgive all debt, which is being done. But the US is not contributing enough to this effort. We claim we have given enough and that some money previously given went into the hand and coffers of some brutal dictators. Even though there have been some new ways to guarantee the money goes to the people and there are incentives given to countries who accept the conditions, we still haven't stepped up to the plate. Would we rather spend the money we spend on wars or peace. That is the fundamental question of our time. The now defunct Roman Empire chose war. Let us not make the same choice.
The benefits of making a change is that we will start to engage the rest of the world as equals and learn something from others to help our development as a nation. We are only a few hundred years old and yet we think we know what is best for everyone. How about we figure out what is best for our own people first. I'll give some ideas. How about healthcare for everyone, a job for everyone, a clean environment for everyone by participating in an effort to stop Global warming that 140 nations have signed up to do but we won't.
The future is in your hands if you are willing to create a new one. Change happens one mindset at a time. Where's yours? My mindset is focused in creating ideas, suggested solutions and actions to solve problems and by helping others to understand they can and do make a difference by their choices daily. And also I hope I can be clear in what I write and speak and honest in what I do, daily.
posted by Charles Amico at 5:31 AM
2 Comments:
Dear Charles I have to disagree with you about “The U.S. has played the "Rescuer" role”. I can’t frankly imagine a single intervention the US made or will make was or going to be like the man who is walking down the street (without any knowledge of the scene or without any interest in any of the party, intervenes for the good of his action). Correct me if I’m wrong, but there could never be any action that the US takes that is not justified by its “National Interest” approach. If there is no economic benefit, or political (ideological) benefit, or SOME KIND OF NATIONAL INTEREST, there is no action.
As you’ve put it, it would have been better if US “offers help only when asked for. But manyer times this cry for help comes from those who barely have any thing to offer to the United States, for example Africa. I’m not denying all the goods US have done for this groups but as you’ve put it the US is somewhat reluctant (may be not enough) for those who don’t have strategic benefit for the United States National Interest.
You’ve said, “The payoff for us is to always feel victimized”. Well people like you, who are innocent and think that the role the United States plays or should play is to “rescue” may feel victimized. Other wise as to my belief there is no need to feel victimized because your country in not as innocent as that man walking down the road, who knows nothing about the scene.
Hope to read your opinion on this.
Peace
Hi Lubu. Let me get right into responding to you. First, I agree what we do is always claimed to be in our national interest. But that doesn't mean it really is in our National Interest. Vietnam was certainly not in our National Interest, it was something that so divided our country. I would claim to you that having Saddam Hussein gone was in the world's interest, but even there most of the world was willing to use the approach of sanctions etc. to inhibit and restrict his moves rather than go to war with him. The world weighed the cost to them each on the one hand and the benefits they would gain in the other. They determined the benefits didn't outweigh the costs. Our President and his Administration came to a different conclusion that now most Americans disagree with. That is why in earlier postings I said we went to war because of a personal vengeance this President had. Saddam tried to assassinate his father because of Gulf war 1.
I also meant to say that when we do this it is not with consciousness of the psychodrama we are playing out. I never feel victimized if that is what you were thinking but my claim is that many here do feel that and feel helpless. I agree that the country is not innocent. That was my point but I didn't make it obviously clear enough to be understood. My call is to wake my country up, as to what it has created and what it continues to create by its intervention policy. Oh and by the way, the leaders never really feel victimized, they feel justified in what they do.
And the point on Africa I totally agree with and that is why I made the comparison. This is a place where we could do good in the world and we are not...because it is not perceived to have strategic benefit for us.
So we agree Lubu on most of this.
I would recommend you read more information on the Karpman Triangle at the referenced web site I put in the post. It is fascinating that many play psychological games that all have a negative payoff and don't know how to stop the cycle. Becoming aware, conscious, enlightened, what ever one calls it, it is the only way.
Peace Lubu.
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