"Carrying the Torch"

United States foreign policy before WW1 defined non-interventionist belief, though we often found ourselves fighting wars at home to fend off European powers during and after our conception, whether it be France, Spain or England. (We as in people living on American soil, natives or colonists)

Many of the political beliefs in countries were shaped by the "British Empire", the blatant superpower in the world, through the strength of it`s Navy and industry.

While we formed better relations with England through the years after The Revolutionary War, other lands did not see them in such a kind light. Spain and France competed with Britain for international influence for years, Germany had the technology and financial power to be a force, but found itself disadvantaged by sharing The North Sea with the strongest naval power in the world (Britain). A growing naval force by the Germans could not go unnoticed by either France or England.

During popular imperialist thought through much of Europe for countless years, expansion was seen as vital. This way of the world later would become the foreign policy of Japan, thinking it necessary to compete militarily and globally for power in order to "protect its interests".

Before WW1 foreign powers began to form powerful pacts, as diplomacy between Russia and England grew alongside France, and German/Austrian relations also grew to neutralize relations between an expanding Yugoslavia/Russian relationship.

Serbian student kills Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, shit hits the fan.

Austria blames Serbia as a country (part of the growing Yugoslavia), though the act was carried out by a Blackhand member and college student (sounds like modern day terrorism) tensions are high, England tries to get peace talks done between the two nations.

Germany is itching for a fight, they have a growing military industry and economy, and believe England will not stay neutral, bringing them closer to Germany`s door. Russia mobilizes to its borders, ready to support Yugoslavia who is now under German threat. Germany sees this as an act of war on Russia's part, another clump hits the fan.

For some stupid military theory reason, Germans believed in order to win, they needed to invade France quickly to gain strength. First they have to get through Belgium. They end up being doing so, and France is attacked and mostly overrun by German so fast they never have a chance to get their military together.

Things already looked bad for Germany at this point, U.S. provided ammunition and products to European powers (gotta make that dollar in the Industrial Revolution times) Our official stance was neutrality and we warned of joining the war if Germany showed aggression. Germany attacked our supply ships, another dumb move.

The Ottoman Empire, is broken up and occupied by England after the war, Germany is reduced to nothing financially and militarily, Austria loses. France is restored. The first World War is complete, revolutionizing politics and warfare.

Germany finds the only way to rebuild is by restructuring military industry though the treaty states they are not to do so. European powers turn a blind eye. Now Japan, united for short time like Germany prior to WW1, begins to grow internationally through trade and expansion through imperialism, once again following tradition of taking a page from England in order to neutralize their power globally. Everyone is wanting to be numero uno, Britain is, so they decide to be un-original and use their foreign policy.

Through all kinds of interesting and frightening domestic politics too far deep in detail for me to want to get into, Hitler gains unprecedented power without a majority vote. While his brutal policies towards Jews goes years without being noticed, he also begins to build military strength, politically, German focus is on protection from Communism internally and externally.

Germany begins stating it will not longer follows stipulations in previous treaties, involving both military agreements, and land ownership agreements between countries after WW1. Germany wants to not only get its land back, but it wants to be a force again. Their economy is growing for the Germans, and so it Hitler`s support.

Japan begins to withdraw from previous treaties with nations, and revamps intense historical relations with China, joining in a pact with Germany to "defend from Communism" Russia and China are the focus.

Mussolini begins attempts to restore the Roman Empire, they lose in these attempts through economic sanctions brought by the League of Nations after invading Ethiopia. They give support to Franco in Spain alongside Germany, fueling the Spanish Civil War. Franco takes power. Italy joins the Anti-Cominterm Pact with Germany and Japan. Japan is in all out war with China at this time, furthering their military aggression.

Germany takes over Austria and without opposition by outside countries, completes a pact with Russia. Once attempting to implore these same tactics on Poland, new British leadership pushes back.

For purposes of disinterest in explaining pacts and strategies through WW2, the war happens, many international agreements come before, during, and after the war.

The imperial hopes of Germany, Italy and Japan end. Europe is destroyed economically, England can no longer finance their operations overseas as they need to focus finances on rebuilding home. Russia and America are the two countries with the largest oil reserves $$ in the world at this time. Though both suffered many casualties (Russia the highest total) neither country suffered massive internal destruction through war like countries such as France or England.

The new lines of the world would be drawn up by Allied powers and through Russian-American finances. Instead of taking the two previous wars as a lesson, Russian and U.S. mistrust begins almost immediately after WW2, and the nuclear bomb is introduced.

Russia frantically puts together funds and study in order to make a bomb, it becomes comparable to previoius naval forces in regards to military and political escalation.

So The Cold War begins, both countries realize the financial strength oil holds, and build arms threatened by one another. Communists hope to end Capitaist imperialism and vica versa through the world. The Russians and U.S. retain lands previously controlled by other nations in the Middle East, Africa, Japan, Germany, Yugoslavia, etc.

British and French Empires begins to crumble through Africa, but both focus on having influence in the former Ottoman Empire. Oil is the concern.

The Germans lost WW2 by failing to take over Russian oil fields, Japan attacked America after the U.S. cut off oil supply to Japan, The British front in the Middle East took the only supply left to Axis Powers. They ran out of gas.

Revolution through Africa ended European empires through the 50`s and 60`s, other countries in the world also changed, with funding and political influence from Russia and America, it became a game of Communism vs. Capitalism.

After Russia crumbled America has been left, occupying many lands watched over by Russia through the 80`s.

Military presence from the once non-interventionist America is now seen all over the world, taking over the politics and controlled areas of England in order to "keep out Russia" and similar policies on the Russian side throughout the Cold War.

So far no country has been able to afford serious global presence. The U.S. now has bases, missile programs, naval sites, intelligence centers all over the world. We are in the Middle East, Germany, Japan, the ex-Soviet Union, Africa, etc. It used to be "The sun never set on the British Empire".

Well I believe you can plug America into that saying now. Without total war with a superpower America is already proving we cannot finance these tactics. Through history we have seen the tactics of controlling foreign land does not work. Peace through war is not peace at all.

We are now no longer the holder of the world`s largest oil reserve. We are not as strong as we believe, unable to finance war in two comparably insignificant countries from a military perspective. Russia is constantly proving more oil field, building their finances through the resurgence of industrial strength and production.

Relations between China and Russia grow paralell to growing relations between Japan and America, all four countries have history of tension. All four have land disputes with one another, and have both different economic and political beliefs.

The U.S. and Russia have different military and political ties to countries opposite of one another in the event of war, much like in the past world wars. After the waves of globalization, America does not have the industrial strength it did in the past, most of our production is military based after the completion of "the war to end all wars".

It would crumble us at this point economically to live in a post-war community. We are in debt from our outstretched military, hunks of aid given to foreign countries to allow us to use their land and resources, and foreign wars.

The money does not add up, we only survived the economic problems from WW2 because of our status as the number 1 provider of oil and strong industry, now the oil is in the Middle East, and our industry has been exported to free trade zones so the rich can cut back on payroll, paying U.S. taxes, and following national environmental protection laws. This is a serious problem if someone were to test our strength.

We at this point are a mass of muscle tissue, stretched over the world, constantly flexing in order to keep possible enemies at bay. While our people are concerned with domestic politics they vote on, international politics ran without democratic processes are what are and will affect our livlihood and future.

These are day to day treaties, international business plans, military contracts, and policies that the people of America have no control over. These are the decisions that may affect if we are hit with nuclear weapons, or drug into another world war. These are trade meetings that effectively ship off jobs and money to foreign markets and rich Americans who do not bring the money back to trickle down.

These are the issues of today, these are the issues that have in the past caused war and will in the future.

We trust these decisions to the legislative and executive branches, who are influenced openly and often by large companies, by dollars they receive personally to continue their campaigns and power. Modern day payoffs that do not involve or benefit the people of America. These are details that should be open to the public and covered by the media constantly so voters may make informed decisions. These stories often go ignored. The average American is too busy working to have time to dig up finanical ties between politicians and companies, it is the responsibility of the media.

But Lindsay Lohan is a lesbian, Angelina Jolie is adopting kids, Sarah Palin`s daughter was pregnant out of wedlock, Joran Vandersloot has killed two people, Lawrence Taylor had sex with an underage prostitute. This is what you are forced to see day in and day out. Mistrusting neighbors because one might be a killer or on drugs or a whore.

Todays big stories on CNN "Governor calls most illegals drug mules" Is this racist?

"Senator Robert Byrd dies"

"Comedian slams Obama blunder"

Let me scroll down to the bottom of the page in the smallest square of news it is marked "international".

Oh, North Korea is claiming we brought heavy weapons into a demilitarized zone this weekend, they have refused to give up their nuclear program recently (again) and earlier this year sank a South Korean warship.

They have close ties to China, who has failed over and over to put sanctions or real pressure on the country for anything, from shooting missiles over Japan as a show of strength to building nukes.

Luckily Russian and Chinese relations build, as the two actually practiced military invasion tactics not long ago...why would they want to practice joint military invasion tactics? Why did nobody ask?

Oh Turkey, the largest military power in the Middle East outside of Israel has closed airspace to the country after violent raids by the Israeli military on humanitarian ships to Gaza. Israel has said they plan on continuing to fly as they always have. Thats exactly what the Middle East needs, further escalation. But hey, Joe Biden called an ice cream guy an "asshole" today, and that story is getting more press.

Maybe the guy was an asshole.

The world is an interesting and scary place, we are repeating history in regards to military pacts, the controlling of foreign land, and the contant fight for retaining the oil veins of the world.

Recent history has shown us the outcomes of these policies in less than a century, but still nothing changes. Our government and media let policy and events go by unnoticed by the general public. Either this stems from fear of us becoming educated and wanting to do something about it, or fear American people cannot comprehend these issues. Either way, you are the one disadvantaged.

Nobody can really know for sure where the events of today will take us tomorrow, but they say "History repeats itself" and if History has shown anything it is this truth. I see writing on the wall and warning signs of what may come in this generation or the next based on our foreign policy and the actions of others around the world to rival it.