Since the end of WWII, the US has been seen as a ruling force in the world. We have been looked to for help when other counties have had problems they could handle themselves. We involved ourselves in Vietnam because we felt that it was our responsibility to help protect the world from Communism. We have been called the International Police, but not everyone sees that as being a good thing. In some places our help has been met with resistance as well as many other people feeling that we should deal with our own problems first. The question I am seeking to answer is "Should the US be held responsible for fixing the problems of the world or should they focus their efforts only on fixing their own problems?"
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In 1991, trouble began in the Balkans. The Cold War had just ended, and people were ready to settle back into regular life. However, in the Balkans, an "ethnic cleansing" began. People that had once been able to live side by side were now killing each other because they were of a different religion or cultural heritage. "The public dream of the nationalists (and the sometimes the unavowed secret dream of the villagers) was thus fulfilled: to be finally at peace, alone among our own people. The mythical pure rural world was created."(Kaiser) The US and other countries got involved trying to evacuate people from the cities and countries and staffing refugee camps. Now that the fighting has ended, is the the responsibility of the US to help with the reconstruction of the Balkans,do we have the right to help them put their country back together?
By Jenny