http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/hill8/English
In which the author speaks of American isolationism against the backdrop of the fiscal crisis.
This was inevitable; the sharp heat of 9/11 brought this to my mind - for many ordinary Americans, the attacks on the twin towers were a punishment by foreigners for the unwanted presence of American troops on their soil.
And now that the fiscal crisis is - in effect choosing American presence in Afghanistan over schools in their backyard - this is not going to swim.
In places like rural El Paso County, on the eastern plains of Colorado, far from the federal budget debate’s epicenter, spending cuts are the order of the day. School districts are increasing class sizes as they shed teachers, as well as deferring maintenance projects and curtailing the school-bus service. These cuts are having a very real and immediate impact on El Paso County’s residents. Can they, and other Americans who are losing vital services, really be expected to rise above it all and support funding to build new schools in Afghanistan?
In which the author speaks of American isolationism against the backdrop of the fiscal crisis.
This was inevitable; the sharp heat of 9/11 brought this to my mind - for many ordinary Americans, the attacks on the twin towers were a punishment by foreigners for the unwanted presence of American troops on their soil.
And now that the fiscal crisis is - in effect choosing American presence in Afghanistan over schools in their backyard - this is not going to swim.
In places like rural El Paso County, on the eastern plains of Colorado, far from the federal budget debate’s epicenter, spending cuts are the order of the day. School districts are increasing class sizes as they shed teachers, as well as deferring maintenance projects and curtailing the school-bus service. These cuts are having a very real and immediate impact on El Paso County’s residents. Can they, and other Americans who are losing vital services, really be expected to rise above it all and support funding to build new schools in Afghanistan?
