Reflection

Fridays class showed the problem of competing interests between countries first-hand. The group who got to go into the room first to set up the room had to decide whether to be fair or to only look out for themselves. But even though they tried to be fair they were still viewed as being selfish. This proved that people in power are never easily trusted. This is a huge problem when dealing with what the question was last week in class: whether powerful countries should help out less powerful countries.

I think from readings and our class discussion that they should, but only to a certain extent. I also think that it is better for countries to share the responsibility of looking out for less powerful countries together. This is because a powerful country will never be trusted enough by a weak one to do something only for the good of the country they are trying to help and not for their own. This is what has caused us trouble in Iraq. While most people didn't like Saddam Hussein and think of us as liberators, most people also don't trust us being there. They may like our help, but not the fact that they are now dependent on us. This is how I felt in class before my group was let into the room. I wanted to think that group 1 would do the honorable thing and be fair. However, I couldn't help but wonder even if they do, why they are doing it and if they are really only doing it for themselves. Because countries can't trust each other, it is hard for countries to accept another countries help or to even offer to help another country. Powerful nations should still help out less powerful nations, but not at the cost of their own country or without being able to prove they are doing it for the right reasons.