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• Wednesday, August 29, 2007 07:53 PM

  Burke, you're becoming tedious

  In my view the USA's introspection has nothing to do with being a superpower.

  Then you're simply mistaken.

  Prior to WWII we were an isolationist superpower, something of a sleeping elephant. I.e. we were isolationist because we could afford to be, which is testament itself to the wealth and power within our borders as well as the advantages of geographic isolation and weak neighbors. That is after all exactly why the British Empire sought to colonize America, for the wealth and power whoever controlled it would posses. There is hardly anything we can't grow or mine in America, and our military policy is to secure the resources we lack, such as oil. We also have the population and economy to support a vast military. The US outspends militarily the next nine nations combined.

  Not that it's a wise policy, and doesn't have serious long term blow back, but that's what it is basically in a nut shell.

  To be historically factual without sentimentality, Australia by comparison was a penal colony, and always lacked resources, and does to this day. Which is one Realist explanation why Australia will never be as isolationist, because it simply can't be. In fact, Australia relies on alliance with the US to secure many global resources.

  "phones, TV, internet, radio or planes"

  That's not the point. Resources and distance are the point. Ancient China like modern America has vast distances and resources within borders.

  Also, you're equating distance by sea with distance by land, which is mistaken. Travel by sea is far more efficient which reduces distances. As is manifestly evident by Australia's almost entirely coastal population which relies heavily on trade.

  Also you're equating the green rural midlands of America with the nearly barren inland of Australia, which is also mistaken. Australia's entire population is 21M. America is 300M. America has more people living inland in green plains producing rich crops, but hundreds of miles away from major cities, than Australia has in total population.

  Australia, despite it's geographic dissimilarity from Europeans, is actually much like European countries around it's inhabited coastal lands. It has a small European size population, and is greatly dependent on trade. Which is why, Australia like Europeans, but unlike America, is more internationally minded.

  —healthyskeptic Read healthyskeptic's other letters
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