The United States has taken on the role of the Almighty of World Powers. It is telling the world neighbors how to rule their citizens, how to run their economies, how to manage their environment and more.

When American business people go abroad with such standards as: let the buyers beware, minimum safety practices and contempt for the poor, they are being antagonistic representatives of the United States of America. Such activity can only be exercised at a price.

Envision such conduct as it would apply to your own family life. A neighbor would not establish warm feelings by applying pressure on the management of your home or on how you should discipline your children.

When a country is embroiled in a civil war the situation is much the same as is the case in a fight between a husband and wife. The children may suffer, but when a neighbor decides to intervene in a family feud, the neighbor soon finds himself to be in the wrong. Neither will the children give up their loyalty to the family. Friendship between neighbors is destroyed and antagonism becomes its replacement. Apologies do not completely erase the resentment.

The United States has interceded in the civil unrest in many countries up to and including civil wars. Now we have whole countries and most of their citizens as enemies. Because of the might of our country, these enemies must resort to limited action such as terrorism, rejection and propaganda as a means of expressing their sentiments. If the United States continues to be the local bully for the whole world, then it can be expected that a number of nations will eventually unite in a war of rebellion.

Iran, Libya, Iraq and other nations are our avowed enemies, and at the present time, China is being harangued to adopt a system of democracy. It is quite ridiculous that we press for democracy everywhere while we are unable to correct the increasing number of flaws in our own system. Wake up calls are being offered by our own citizens. Simple talks and written requests are not being heard in Washington and at state level. The Oklahoma bombing, the units of rebellious militia and lesser, but similar actions are expressions by those who are able to see the shortcomings in our system of democraic socialism.

The attempt at developing a world economy or a world community is being carried out primarily, if not wholly, as a business venture. The potential consequences of such actions are not being considered because if they were, the chances for armed conflict and the consequences of eventual organizational collapse would be found to outweigh the assumed advantages.

Greed and power are not the proper fuels to be used in propelling the advancement of civilization. The primary goal in the advancement of civilization is to develop a world where war between nations never occurs. Where the pressure to develop democracy and free enterprise reduces the chances of success in having a peaceful world, then the development of democracy and free enterprise must wait.

Charles R. Leighton lives in Limestone.