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and why wouldn’t such a domestic policy not be applicable to our foreign policy? people, we are a consumer nation whose policies are shaped by corrupt politicians (on both sides) who have given into lobbys who give them money to continue to allow the grab for resources and cheap labor. we enslave nations via development debt via corporate contractors via CIAID…er…USAID. they don’t have the GNP to pay us back, so we muscle in for UN votes, for military bases, for slave-labor factories.
look at darfur, look at rwanda, look at liberia…no US involvement. No money in it. the only time we do step in to take care of the husseins, the noriegas, the chavez’ (which failed btw) is not because they have done evil (which they had), but because they aren’t cooperating with US demand for cheaper oil and labor…THAT’s the only reason!! God and Country is just a facade for the wolves to operate.

“material jealousy” is a naive assessment…i would have agreed not too long ago.

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“– but the United States has liberated countries, not enslaved them.”

This is an interesting statement under the post name “Foreign Policy choices.” What is slavery? The Bible constantly associates slavery with debt. Proverbs 22:7 states “Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.” The gospels point to our debt of sin being paid through Christ’s work; that we were slaves to sin made free through Christ. What has America’s policy choices done to the average American?
1. Accept that debt is preferred to savings
2. Accept a government in debt as the norm
3. cause them to spend 3 to 4 months of the year’s income on various taxes

So, will the real slaves stand up?

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Helping another to become richer in all ways (especially spiritual) is greatly to be desired over helping them to become poorer. We all are poorer when we measure each other’s worth by the material only. I agree with theme of the post; making excuses for sin will never be a substitute for confronting it and acknowledging it. But that’s the problem isn’t it? Wealth follows confession of sin even if it isn’t always material wealth. (It is often, BTW IMHO.)

Night Train,
Your comments again reveal more about you than about the post. Please take a moment to think about what others say once and a while with the intention of building rather than just tearing down in a knee-jerk reaction. It’s just a waste of time and resources. Give others this courtesy and they might even be interested in what you have to say.

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JEALOUSY is a big factor, if not the ONLY ONE!

Our neighbors have a propensity for JEALOUSY, perhaps we should look OVER THE FENCE?

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this could be argued….

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This could just as easily apply to America where you would be on the opposite side of the fence.

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but the United States has liberated countries, not enslaved them.

I hardly think the Mexican-American and Spanish American War qualifies as wars of liberation, unless you equate annexation with liberation. America has operate in much the same way as most European countries – sometimes they were the good guys and sometimes they were the bad guys; the former more than the latter. However, in the middle east the problem has not been wars but support of despots such as the Saudi family.

To purport the conflict arose from disparity of wealth is very Marxists of you but not necessarily true. First many Arab countries are not poor and in many cases the people posses the same modern goods and conviences especially in the Gulf States, Saudi Arabia and to a certain extent Iran. Lebanon’s wealth has been drained by continious internal strife and its citizens know this are apt to blame themselves, Israel and Palestine. The poor states – Yemen and Egypt for example are as jealous of their rich Arab neighbours as they are of the West.

Although I have been known to spout off the share the wealth mantra, I also realize history, tribal politics and self interested rulers are far more important.

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There is one thing the religious elites can’t stop, and that’s technological progress which brings information. Sooner or later — probably later — there will be a revolution. I have to hope that even these people will get tired of living in misery and poverty.

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