[Rhodes22-list] Happy Fourth of July!

[Brad Haslett]

Happy Fourth of July everyone.  My next door neighbor is making his
elixar at 3pm so I'll be spending the rest of the day in
Margaritaville.  Enjoy the holiday.  Here is an article that sums up
my feelings nicely.

Brad

July 04, 2006
A World Without America
By Peter Brookes

For all the worldwide whining and bellyaching about the United States,
today - America's 230th birthday - provides an opportune time for them
to consider for just a moment what the world might be like without
good ol' Uncle Sam.

The picture isn't pretty. Absent U.S. leadership, diplomatic
influence, military might, economic power and unprecedented
generosity, life aboard planet earth would likely be pretty grim,
indeed. Set aside the differences America made last century - just
imagine a world where this country had vanished on Jan. 1, 2001.

On security, the United States is the global balance of power. While
it's not our preference, we are the world's "cop on the beat,"
providing critical stability in some of the planet's toughest
neighborhoods.

Without the U.S. "Globo-cop," rivals India and Pakistan might well
find cause to unleash the dogs of war in South Asia - undoubtedly
leading to history's first nuclear (weapons) exchange. Talk about
Fourth of July fireworks . . .

In Afghanistan, al Qaeda would still be an honored guest, scheming
over a global caliphate stretching from Spain to Indonesia. It
wouldn't be sending fighters to Iraq; instead, Osama's gang would be
fighting them tooth and nail from Saudi Arabia to "Eurabia."

In Asia, China would be the "Middle Kingdom," gobbling up democratic
Taiwan and compelling pacifist Japan (reluctantly) to join the nuclear
weapons club. The Koreas might fight another horrific war, resulting
in millions of deaths.

A resurgent Russia, meanwhile, would be breathing down the neck of its
"near abroad" neighbors. Forget the democratic revolutions in Ukraine
and Georgia, Comrade! In Europe, they'd be taking orders from Paris or
Berlin - if those rivals weren't at each other's throats again.

In Africa, Liberia would still be under Charles Taylor's sway, and
Sudan would have no peace agreement.

And what other nation could or would provide freedom of the seas for
commerce, including the shipment of oil and gas - all free of charge?

Weapons of mass destruction would be everywhere. North Korea would be
brandishing a solid nuclear arsenal. Libya would not have given up its
weapons, and Pakistan's prodigious proliferator, A.Q. Khan, would
still be going door to door, hawking his nuclear wares.

Also missing would be other gifts from "Uncle Sugar" - starting with
22 percent of the U.N. budget. That includes half the operations of
the World Food Program, which feeds over 100 million in 81 countries.

Gone would be 17 percent of UNICEF's costs to feed, vaccinate, educate
and protect children in 157 countries - and 31 percent of the budget
of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, which assists more than 19
million refugees across the globe.

In 2005, Washington dispensed $28 billion in foreign aid, more than
double the amount of the next highest donor (Japan), contributing
nearly 26 percent of all official development assistance from the
large industrialized countries.

Moreover, President Bush's five-year $15 billion commitment under the
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is the largest commitment by a single
nation toward an international health initiative - ever - working in
over 100 (mostly African) countries.

The United States is the world's economic engine. We not only have the
largest economy, we spend 40 percent of the world's budget on R&D,
driving mind-boggling innovation in areas like information technology,
defense and medicine.

We're the world's ATM, too, providing 17 percent of the International
Monetary Fund's resources for nations in fiscal crisis, and funding 13
percent of World Bank programs that dole out billions in development
assistance to needy countries.

And what does Uncle Sam get in return? Mostly grief, especially from
all the ungrateful freeloaders who benefit tremendously from the
global "public goods" we so selflessly provide with our time, effort,
blood and treasure. How easily - and conveniently - they forget . . .
unless they need help, of course.

But let us never forget, especially today, that despite the
name-calling, the jeers, the petty jealousies, we're the envy of the
world - and rightfully so.

The fact is that no matter what anyone says: No country has given so
much to so many so often - while asking for so little in return - for
so little gratitude than this great country of ours. So Happy
birthday, America! Stand tall and proud - you've earned it.

Peter Brookes is a columnist for The New York Post , a Heritage
Foundation senior fellow and author of "A Devil's Triangle: Terrorism,
WMD and Rogue States."