Reaching out to people of other cultures would enhance our self worth; it would develop and emphasize our empathy with other human beings and would, as a byproduct, improve the level of our happiness.
Let us be humble and learn from other societies that are poorer than us, yet seem to attain levels of satisfaction and happiness that are higher than in our societies (US and the west). We have been conditioned by advertisers and television to see happiness as consumption, acquiring the latest product, particular food, pair of jeans, and "L'Oreal, because you are worth it'. The purpose of this conditioning is to enhance the profits of powerful corporations, helping the rich become richer to the detriment of ordinary people.
Think of the level of happiness that could be achieved by millions in the US and worldwide if the US spent two trillion dollars a year helping the poor and the destitute attain their basic need for food, clean water, and shelter. Two trillion dollars is the amount saved if the defence budget were to be cut in half, and all US wars brought to an end.
America, your wars violate every tenet of your Declaration of Independence: " that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" . For the sake of humanity, live up to those universal ideals.
That is the right and moral thing to do, and incidentally it happens to be a more powerful weapon against terrorism than armies and weapons of death and destruction.
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