[Solomon219]

I'm sorry, I didn't word that correctly. I had so many ideas going through my head, I couldn't type as fast as I thought. What I was getting at is the World Wars, where foreign countries needed our direct intervention, where they were ASKING for our help. This is where the lending came from, and has continued.

But let's do take this back to the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, we were a fledgling country, and we accepted the aid of those same foreign countries who decades later would be accepting aid from us! France figures directly into mind, in both wars, and the United Kingdom (Great Britain, Britannia, England? They change their name too much) made some quite substantial loans after the Civil War. Those loans are what brought America into the Industrial Revolution, enabling us to become the richest country in the world.

As far as being forced into the war, there is currently enough surviving evidence that the government knew, Eisenhower knew, every single detail about the attack on Pearl Harbor BEFORE IT HAPPENED! They'd decoded several Japanese messages. Why didn't they say anything? There was not enough war sentiment among the general populace to justify joining! There were quite a few dissenters! Solution? Allow them an attack on Hawaii (not mainland America), and that will stir the Americans up enough to justify anything the gov't wanted to do. There have been several books written on this topic.

I hope you weren't insulting my knowledge of history? It is my favorite subject.

As for traveling outside the country I have been to Canada, Great Britain, and Mexico for several weeks at a time. I've been through France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and Spain staying for a few days in each on a European tour. I speak English, le Francais, und Deutsch. The last two haltingly, but I'm working on that. I also plan on taking Japanese next semester, and if time permits, get a smattering of Russian. My major is in International Economics at the University of Kentucky, and I plan on going to Law school to major in International Law. I'm currently a Junior, will be a Senior next fall, and will probably extend my undergraduate studies by a year or two to work on languages and take advantage of the Foreign Exchange type programs UK offers.

Why do you ask? Because of my reactionary views within the US, or the isolationist policies I feel we should adapt toward the rest of the world? I do not plan on living here after getting my Law degree, but would like to work in Germany, or perhaps France. (Incidentally the two countries America has the biggest beef with! COUNTING Afghanistan, North Korea, and Iraq!)

Freedom Fries...What a stupid idea.

Again, whaddya think? - S