The best thing we can do as a country (a bit long)

The United States loves to help other countries. We've spewed billions into foreign aid to countries that are stupid poor. Columbia, Tanzania, South Africa, etc. We have drained our economy so much with the war in Iraq, supporting illegal immigrants' kids for life, and waste still more by funneling into the black hole some people call the "Federal Government."
I'd like to share my thoughts.
As a libertarian, my philosophy is often skipped over for the more popular "right or left" syndrome. The truth of the matter is, everyone has parts of both left and right in their thoughts. So, on to point!
Foreign policy! There is a big world out there! Lots of people are working and building and living in very beautiful places. Some people live in huts, some in bars, still more live in poverty. The poverty line in the United States is pretty high compared to other countries. Last time I checked, it was somewhere around $12,000 a year as income. $12k won't go very far here. That's $1,000 per month! However, $12k will go miles in places like China, Argentina, and any third-world country. What you give up for that will be more costly than you might imagine though. To give you an example, $12k in China would be something like $150,000 here. That's a good income. So, we have things VERY well off here.
We keep on giving money to these countries... as a federal government! I have a question to any Chinese citizen: What have western companies done for your town? The answer might surprise you. They bring jobs. They bring incomes. They bring advancements to society. "Isn't that the government's job?" I hear that all too often. The answer? NO! It is not the government's job to give you everything you want. The government is to encourage economic growth, not give you a job. Companies can give you a job. That is their job - to make money. The government is to make that easier to do. I'm not sure how else I can say it.
So, leave the companies to give jobs. What SHOULD the government do? The government SHOULD be a good steward and stop wasting it's resources. It SHOULD spend money on things like debt. I can personally vouch that having debt is not a good thing. Debt is like disease. Many people CAN get rid of it, but it is very difficult. Some people never recover, because they don't try. It takes counsel (maybe from a doctor/financial adviser), elbow grease to figure things out, and plain old hard work to get things done.
The government SHOULD focus on providing the BEST education to our citizens. I'm not a fan of the Dept of Education. If teachers want a union, they will organize one. For now, re-write the purpose of the DOE to evaluate where EVERY school in north America and the world is making progress. Not just teaching the same stuff the same way it has for 20 years. Where are teachers finding newer and more effective ways of teaching? What works? What doesn't? Do private schools educate people better than public? If so, why not give everyone the voucher? Encourage competition among teachers! Encourage schools to go after the best teachers and to pay them well! I would bet that most teachers would love a new job offer out of the blue just because they did a good job the year before. If public schools are better, find the leaks! Where are they spewing money? Plug those leaks! Reward progress! Reward consistent efficiency!
I'm a big fan of working on our economy and I believe that education comes first in this endeavor. I believe that education has some of the bigger leaks in our society too, but I may save that for another blog.
What about the little guys? What about local businesses? Let's take them and encourage them to focus on hiring people who are not educated! People who have a high school diploma or less can work simple jobs! They can make those jobs better. Let's encourage small business owners to be teachers and mentors. Maybe even expand their business overseas to "help" foreigners. That can be our version of foreign aid. They can grow to be bigger companies. (I'm sure the owner will love the word "bigger!") This isn't taking jobs and income from our country. This is encouraging so much growth that the companies see foreign markets as investment opportunities. They WANT other countries to grow too! Just imagine what the communist Chinese government would say if a company told them that their GDP was about to balloon by $300 billion! China would fling it's doors open to western society so fast that we wouldn't be able to expand fast enough! What about Africa? There are thousands, maybe millions that just want a home again. They will work at Lowe's and Wal-Mart and appreciate the opportunity. Companies will jump at the chance.
Alright, so long rant! To knock it down, I believe that if we focus on education in schools and businesses, the economy shall grow. Then a strong economy will expand through borders into countries where marginal growth can begin.