Political ramblings about policy

So I was thnking today as i was listening to 'silver and gold' by U2. I was thinking how so many people get politics and policy screwed up. Also how so many people don't fully understsnd how our governments policies affect the rest of the world. I have been fortunate enough to have traveld to two different countries that have been touched by american policies in one way or another. First I travelled to El Salvador in 1992, and in talking to the locals, they felt that the American way to solve problems was to throw money at them. I distincly remember a large modern office building that was jsut a shell. Broken windows and grafiti were all the action it was seeing. Our guide said that it was built by the Americans but they just gave the money and left. In Contrast there was a German hosptial and school. The Germans as a matter of policy built the buildings and helped train the Salvadorian staff. They even had some German doctors working at the hospital alongside the locals. Our guide said that made all of the difference. Instead of throwing money at the problem and hoping it changed, the Germans helped change the problem. Most Americans, in the policy making world, don't do that. I the was lucky enough to go to South Africa in 1996. The horror that was Aprthied was still visible. I went to Soweto and saw Mandella's house (very small for a president, but it did have barbed wire and security cameras) along side the carboard and corrugated steel shaks that black south africans lived in. As a matter of policy, the Reagan administration did nothing, no sanctions, no military support of regime change (shoulda had W in office maybe he would have fought Botha) nothing. We can see that things turned out well (that is a different topic ) and even though we should have done something, things turned out for the best there and SA is a great succsess story as far as change and reconcilliation. Is it a perfect place? No, but they have done grate things and are progressing along well. But as far as our policy, it could have been better. But most people here never see the effects of our policies and think that we are doing what is best. There is a reason the term Ugly American came about people! Our governments policies direcly effect how you are viewd by the rest of the world. think about that during this election season.