What do you honestly think would happen if the United States closed up shop tomorrow? Seriously think about it

Pres. Bush will give the following speech tomorrow morning: " ladies and gentlemen, I am recalling all of our troops from all bases around the world. They are ALL coming home. Our foreign aid will stop. We will no longer provide relief to any country during natural disasters or man made events. Our borders will be closed as of midnight tonight and anyone attempting to cross the borders will be shot on sight. Foreign ambassadors in the US may stay only if they agree to follow our laws - no more immunity. We will keep commercial ties open with other countries except for military, space, agricultural or medical technologies. We will no longer cross-train with your police, firefighters, doctors. The United States will take the next ten years to re-examine its policies and interests as well as its goals. We are sorry for any inconvinience this may cause. Thank you."

Woe to a certain somebody who thinks America lacks natural resources. Have you any idea how big the United States is? 4th largest country in the world...

But anyhow, things would be scary... trade would certainly be thrown to the dogs. The world would be shocked, I reckon. Then people would start jabbering and causing a chaotic fit amidst themselves. Those who got money from the United States would see a huge gap in their marketing areas. In the Middle East, Muslims would briefly celebrate, and then they would try to go for Israel and some European countries instead of the United States. Britain would lose its biggest ally, Canada would have a war with us, Mexicans would be slaughtered, and some people who happened to have families in the U.S. would mourn.

no, its too early

America would died in about 2 months as it lacks the natural resources to sustain itself.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD GET THE F*CK OUT OF THAT LOONY BIN. AND A LOT OF LOONIES WILL BE TRYING TO GET IN.

HEY, good idea. That is what China did many times. it works well. you suffer some loss of individual freedoms but the government gets more power. so it is a trade-off.
Or we could just surrender to China now and let them rule us the way they rule in China.

You clearly have no idea how much money the United States actually gives in foreign aid.
Our military bases are all in places where they protect OUR interests. Not to help the people of the nation.
Your whole statement just goes to prove how ridiculous the mind set of todays conservative is.

Our trade with other countries would stop immediately, putting millions of American workers out of a job.
The countries that have loaned us money to finance our deficit spending would call their loans due (to the tune of some $8 TRILLION dollars), and when we couldn't pay it back they would start seizing any US property abroad.
Our economy would collapse within a few weeks, and we would get no help from any other country to keep us going. It would be the end of the US.

Like it or not, we are heavily integrated into the world economy, and we can't just pull out like that. It would be the end of our country.

Sorry but I had to laugh !!!! It's an excellent speech !!! Well the UK wouldn't do much, not sure how Russia would be with all the power now in their hands seeing as they try and compete against US.

as much as it would **** up society in the short term imagine the loss of arogant americans, and stupid americans that wear rose tinted glasses when they see their country and president. i'd even forgo maccy ds and coca cola (americas best imports) to make this happen

America is like heroin. We'd get withdrawal symptoms, but the world would be a better place.

While your at it - chuck out anyone whose ancestry is not indigenous to America - lets say the last 500 years. Not a lot compared to European and middle eastern history.

The United States of Europe ---- sounds good --

The world thanks you. Now go and stew in your own juice.
GOODBYE

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana

If the first two great lessons of history are:

1) Never get into a land war in Asia
2) Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line

Then somewhere near there must be, "Isolationist policy doesn't work on the international stage." We already tried that prior to WWI and WWII, and that was before the sweeping changes in our modern economy.

Does anyone seriously think our economy will survive without any international ties? Oil, technology, textiles, pharmaceuticals - just go right down the list of major commodities.

The underlying problem - does anyone seriously think this kind of "withdrawal" of foreign policy will not bring our leverage in the international economic arena to an abrupt, screeching halt?

While I sympathize with some of the sentiments and views expressed in this fictitious "national address", the "I'm going to take my ball and go home" response just doesn't work for me.

Rather, I would suggest you consider "noblesse oblige" and it's doctrinal implications with regard to the foreign policy of wealthy nations.

Best to you.

Only the Philiphines would suffer. As far as withdrawing your army bases local commerce would suffer temporarily. New alliances would form soon enough most likley with the EU, Russia or China that ment the status quo being kept.

The biggest problem would be immigration out of america into canada or mexico.

It's a good idea, it would let the US know full well its position in the world, that being an important country alas not vital to anyone but itself.

As those we deal with on a friendly/economic basis turn their back on us as we turn our back on them, the banking system begins to crash, as the economy crashes. As the banking system crashes, the goods (food,energy) cease to be available to those who actually have any money left. Social upheaval takes place, and the Government is overthrown. As social systems break down, many people die as a result. America ceases to exist.

china would ask for all the billions it was owed, the rest of the world would start paying for things in euros not dollars and the us economy would collapse as the dollars in circulation around the world became less valuable and were all exchanged.

the foreign aid is only 0.13% of gdp, nothing like as much as most other countries give. you are wrong if you think the world needs the us more than the us needs the world.

The result would be a mixed bag...

Some areas would be hurt tremendously in places like South Africa; although, plenty of other countries do give humanitarian aid also. But, ironically a few surprising places would be devastated if they no longer received our humanitarian aid... ie, Palestine.

With that said, it is a mistake to look at giving aid as though we are just doing ppl a favour and they should bow down and worship us out of gratitude. This is a common mistake that some make and you even see this in this country when ppl gripe about giving the poor food stamps.

The reason that mentality is a mistake is because if you choose the path of idly standing by while the poor suffer, the end result is enormous animosity, anger, hatred and finally, crime. Crime in the form of theft at first... then as the hatred builds, those starving poor will not think twice to cut the throat of the man in a nice car just to get his wallet... after all, did that man care to help them get food? Also, when those ppl stealing food from the grocers do end up getting caught, who pays to put them in jail and their attorneys? = tax payers

So you see, giving aid is actually not about helping the poor and starving.. it is about helping a world stay civilised and actually about helping ourselves.

Happiest of will probably be the indigenous population of Diego Garcia, who, having been ethnically cleansed from their homeland by the British Government in its long established role of Mr President's prize poodle, will at last be able to return home.

The Arab world will pretty happy as well for Israeli expansion has been to date financed by the US. Let us see how many tanks they buy when they have to pay for them from their own resources.

Will they close the embassy in Grosvenor Square and enable normality to be restored to that area?

I am disappointed that in the scenario you paint, the US is to maintain commercial ties with the rest of the world. I wonder if the big US corporations will still be able to ignore the laws of lesser countries without the tacit threat of the Yankee size 12 boot in the background.

In summary, this new Monroe doctrine is a small step towards utopia.

I'd be out of a job, all my sales are in the States, and despite popular belief they all all really nice......

For one thing europe will have no one to pick on , or to whinne about, humm may we should just live by ourselves a say thefuck with the rest of the world , let the europeans handle the **** for now on let see how they do. i'll just sit back and watch because europe has done some **** up **** too okay

Such an arrogant and stupid society! what do you think, US is the blood supply of earth? The world existed and was more safe before the existence of your great country. All the world civilisations grew and flourished and there was nothing called USA. People still die from hunger in Africa, Asia, even in south America and they do not see your millions!! You supply the world with bombs, rockets, bullets....you support the biggest terrorist state on earth and support killings of civilians in the middle east. You are talking about INCONVENIENCE!!do you call the lives of 655000 INCONVENIENCE!!!!
Wake up!! no body wanted you in the gulf to start with, you occupied a whole region to suck its wealth and kill its people.

Inconvenience to whom? In ten years we'll tell you to keep your borders closed, thanks. We are better off without you.
You can start your stupid 'experiment' by withdrawing ALL aid from Israel. Go ahead.