Yes, there are. And the better ways are almost ALWAYS cheaper, work longer, last longer, and the effects are symbiotic and tremendously great in terms of building better relations.

How much would it cost, for example, to provide everyone with clean drinking water? Very little. But the problem is, it doesn't make money in immediate profits. It's still cheaper then the billions that are thrown into arms, bombs, and weapons, all of which, I call, are economic terminators, ie. they have no shelf life, they're used once, and the value is reduced to zero, and are probably the worst investment known to man. They don't build infrastructure, nor economies of scale. They destroy infrastructure and economies of scale. They don't bring in returns on investment. Functionally, and economically, they're useless.

But any economist could tell you that. All we have to do is look at the Soviet Union's dependence on that kind of an economy.

And then there's building fresh water supplies for these countries, as an example. Economically, you've brought up the living standard. Now these people live healthier, and can focus on education, and on bringing up their living standard. Which means they grow in the ability to grow, thrive, build communities and economies, and later, to make purchases. And because they were given fresh water, they have a healthy, positive image of the country that's done it for them. Then they choose to do business with them, and foster more business, and on and on, by bringing up their countrymen to a middle class level.

In all of Latin America, the only nations I saw actively doing this were Japan, and Taiwan. And on occaision, Germany. Japan's JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency) volunteers are very well regarded, received, and respected all over Latin America. The JICA volunteers mainly send in technicians to help in building fresh water supplies, power generation, automotive tech teaching, anything having to do with infrastructure, and agricultural development. And what's happened because of them? Those people who've been helped by, for example, JICA, are eager to build relationships with Japan, or Taiwan, or Germany. Now, China's copying the japanese method. That will bring in results a decade or so down the line. It's long term, but it's far more solid of a relationship.

Why the USA refuses to do what the Japanese do, I don't know. It kills me when I think about it. But then again, I do know. It's all about control, and not really capitalism, because Japan and Taiwan are capitalist afterall. It's about fascism, through the creation of an elite in the capitalists, which in turn brings in favoritism. And that's why the CIA, and in association, the USA, is and will forever be villified.

"Your mind's pictures of today are tomorrows reality."

http://www.myspace.com/adventure_maniac
Blog: http://davesnewadventure.wordpress.com

People in the USA like to imagine the country acts for their interests but in a ethical fashion. At least this is the popular image but everywhere i've been in Asia i've seen the destruction that was brought by U.S. interference in the region. What you are talking about in Latin America is a very familiar story in SE Asia. The difference is that SE Asia managed to fight off much of the attempted U.S. influence. I don't need to mention this to you though obviously your origins are very much entwined in that war. In modern times the formation of ASEAN was meant to allow SE Asian countries greater autonomy away from U.S. manipulated organizations like the IMF and World Bank.

It's also interesting that Asian countries come in and rebuild what was destroyed these days. It is indeed a form of soft diplomacy that works well. China and Japan have done plenty of infrastructure projects in Laos and Vietnam as well. Deep down I feel that a lot of U.S. politicians don't understand these concepts because they are mostly middle aged upper class white men. They have lived an entire existence of privilege and have benefited from racism and neo-colonialism of the countries and people of the developing world.

Just look at how Asian-Americans are treated in the U.S. Many of us were born and raised there but it's almost a second or third class citizenship. If the U.S. can't even respect or recognize its own sons and daughters do you think they give a damn about foreigners from the developing world?

These things will never change until the developing world claws its way up to economic parity. China figured this out and is pretty much leading the way these days. In the scheme of things it's important to the world that the scales are rebalanced. This is why I don't support U.S. policies and to some degree it's influenced my decision to leave the U.S. altogether.