An open letter to Donald Trump
Dear Mr. Trump,
You've gained a lot of popularity with your talk about building a wall to keep people from illegally crossing the border into the United States. I understand the desire to address safety concerns regarding criminals and terrorists being allowed free access to our country. I also understand wanting to limit the number of people who come here illegally and tap into what are now the country's very limited resources. We have a hard enough time providing for our own needy people. That said, let me be very clear. These problems will never be solved by building a wall.
Addressing the real issues involves asking better questions. Instead of asking, "How do we keep undesirable elements out of the country?" we need to ask questions like, "Why are people trying to enter the country illegally in the first place?" The difference in these two questions will determine whether Americans can come together to fix their own problems or continue to be mired down in the muck, the root of our problems untouched and growing.
I know why people desire to come to the United States. Many people hold the belief that the United States is the land of freedom and opportunity. On certain levels this is still true (although the past thirty+ years have brought more limitations to freedom and opportunity than I would have thought possible).
This brings to mind another even more important question: why are conditions so bad in other countries that they risk leaving their homes to try to find better lives for themselves and their families? This is the issue at the root of our problems. This is the issue that needs to be addressed.
Mr. Trump, you may not see this as the US's problem, but let me assure you it is our problem. Why, you ask? It is our problem because the United States has caused conditions to be bad in countries around the world.
Let's take a quick look at Iraq and Afghanistan. US military intervention in Iraq goes back to George Bush Sr. and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. At the time, Iraq was accusing Kuwait of drilling sideways/at an angle to tap in to Iraqi oil reserves. I don't know that this is true. I don't know that it is not true. Considering the techniques they have perfected in more recent years to obtain shale oil, Kuwait might have been guilty as charged. US intervention in Afghanistan goes back even farther to when the USSR was trying to invade it to plunder its vast natural gas resources. Both instances were justified because America is all about policing the world and making sure democracy and freedom reign supreme. (At least that's what the citizenry are told in order to make sure they support whatever actions our military takes overseas.)
Are either of these countries better off today than they were back then after literal decades of US military intervention? The answer is a resounding "No!" They are still at war. People struggle to survive everyday life. Poppy fields and the heroin drug trade still thrive. The region is a breeding ground for terrorism as the people attempt to reclaim control of themselves and their resources.
Who has benefited from these police actions? Multinational corporations who profit from war--weapons manufacturers, food and supply companies, etc. Corporations who seek to control natural resources (oil, natural gas, minerals, etc.). Banks, who plunge countries into fake debt by promising much needed infrastructure that is really only put in place to provide for ease of military action and export of the country's resources and does absolutely nothing to help the people who actually live there. The debt does, however, make those people debt slaves.
The Middle East is not the only area of the world our multinational corporations control. Most of Africa, large portions of Asia, and pretty much all of Central and South America are included in such takeovers. Natural resources are controlled by corporations who subjugate the people in their quest for never-ending money and power. Life for these people is difficult at best. Under such circumstances, who wouldn't want a shot at an easier life?
Our military should not be used so that multinational corporations profit. Our military should be defensive only and not for our allies either. Our allies need to develop and/or rely on their own defenses and not expect us to go fight their battles. If they want our help, they need to be willing to bear the cost of the action and pay for our services. The bottom line is, the United States of America needs to stop interfering in other countries around the world. We have created worldwide problems that people want to escape from.
Mr. Trump, it is not about building a wall. It is about enabling people all over the world to control their own destinies. It is about allowing them the space they need to create abundance and prosperity. When they have what they need to lead healthy and productive lives in their own countries, they will have no reason to raid ours.
Sincerely,
Cindy Shippy Evans
Dear Mr. Trump,
You've gained a lot of popularity with your talk about building a wall to keep people from illegally crossing the border into the United States. I understand the desire to address safety concerns regarding criminals and terrorists being allowed free access to our country. I also understand wanting to limit the number of people who come here illegally and tap into what are now the country's very limited resources. We have a hard enough time providing for our own needy people. That said, let me be very clear. These problems will never be solved by building a wall.
Addressing the real issues involves asking better questions. Instead of asking, "How do we keep undesirable elements out of the country?" we need to ask questions like, "Why are people trying to enter the country illegally in the first place?" The difference in these two questions will determine whether Americans can come together to fix their own problems or continue to be mired down in the muck, the root of our problems untouched and growing.
I know why people desire to come to the United States. Many people hold the belief that the United States is the land of freedom and opportunity. On certain levels this is still true (although the past thirty+ years have brought more limitations to freedom and opportunity than I would have thought possible).
This brings to mind another even more important question: why are conditions so bad in other countries that they risk leaving their homes to try to find better lives for themselves and their families? This is the issue at the root of our problems. This is the issue that needs to be addressed.
Mr. Trump, you may not see this as the US's problem, but let me assure you it is our problem. Why, you ask? It is our problem because the United States has caused conditions to be bad in countries around the world.
Let's take a quick look at Iraq and Afghanistan. US military intervention in Iraq goes back to George Bush Sr. and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. At the time, Iraq was accusing Kuwait of drilling sideways/at an angle to tap in to Iraqi oil reserves. I don't know that this is true. I don't know that it is not true. Considering the techniques they have perfected in more recent years to obtain shale oil, Kuwait might have been guilty as charged. US intervention in Afghanistan goes back even farther to when the USSR was trying to invade it to plunder its vast natural gas resources. Both instances were justified because America is all about policing the world and making sure democracy and freedom reign supreme. (At least that's what the citizenry are told in order to make sure they support whatever actions our military takes overseas.)
Are either of these countries better off today than they were back then after literal decades of US military intervention? The answer is a resounding "No!" They are still at war. People struggle to survive everyday life. Poppy fields and the heroin drug trade still thrive. The region is a breeding ground for terrorism as the people attempt to reclaim control of themselves and their resources.
Who has benefited from these police actions? Multinational corporations who profit from war--weapons manufacturers, food and supply companies, etc. Corporations who seek to control natural resources (oil, natural gas, minerals, etc.). Banks, who plunge countries into fake debt by promising much needed infrastructure that is really only put in place to provide for ease of military action and export of the country's resources and does absolutely nothing to help the people who actually live there. The debt does, however, make those people debt slaves.
The Middle East is not the only area of the world our multinational corporations control. Most of Africa, large portions of Asia, and pretty much all of Central and South America are included in such takeovers. Natural resources are controlled by corporations who subjugate the people in their quest for never-ending money and power. Life for these people is difficult at best. Under such circumstances, who wouldn't want a shot at an easier life?
Our military should not be used so that multinational corporations profit. Our military should be defensive only and not for our allies either. Our allies need to develop and/or rely on their own defenses and not expect us to go fight their battles. If they want our help, they need to be willing to bear the cost of the action and pay for our services. The bottom line is, the United States of America needs to stop interfering in other countries around the world. We have created worldwide problems that people want to escape from.
Mr. Trump, it is not about building a wall. It is about enabling people all over the world to control their own destinies. It is about allowing them the space they need to create abundance and prosperity. When they have what they need to lead healthy and productive lives in their own countries, they will have no reason to raid ours.
Sincerely,
Cindy Shippy Evans
