Its finally the end of the semester, and what better way to end it than with a paper about returning home? The discussion in class was very insightful. I never would’ve imagined that this article on returning home could direct the discussion towards a greater world problem. While its true that there are many problems in the world, its not impossible to fix. In our discussion, it was repeatedly mentioned that world powers keep their grips on foreign countries through financial interactions. An industry in a third world country being completely controlled by other more powerful countries is not uncommon. It is really frustrating sometimes to see countries reaping the benefits from a poorer country, but doing nothing when the poorer country is in crisis. Why can’t there be a relation between countries where both countries can benefit? Why is is so difficult to establish such a system? I think it is because of human’s natural selfishness. A country wouldn’t just help another country if it doesn’t perceive any immediate advantage.

I want to say that China is on the right track when it comes to international relations. Right now, China is trying to develop economically and industrially at an insane pace. However, maintaining this growth requires resources that China doesn’t have. In the past, Empires or nations that needed to maintain growth relied on conquest to obtain the resources they needed. The British Empire, for example, expanded their control across the world to gain access to resources. China is doing the same thing as well, except they aren’t taking them by force. China builds a relationship with other countries in which both parties benefit. In return for raw materials, China legitimately provides the infrastructure that the country lacks, whether they are hospitals, roads, or power plants. However, this does cause a strain on the country’s resources and may end up causing some backlash to to the relationship. The United States does this slightly differently. In the name of Democracy and settling political unrest in foreign countries, the US ends up occupying the country for a while and conveniently takes control of that country’s resources. It sounds horrible, but this is the reason why Americans are able to live so comfortably. If we want to change the world, we have to look pass the advantages. We have to see beyond the risks and rewards and overcome human’s selfishness. Only by doing so will we be able to create a world where these problems do not exist.