We need to import and export to maintain a lifestyle and a standard of living that is beyond our own amount of work.
I believe much of Marx’s theories of value that labor is the only thing that can create value. We receive more value here than the amount of labor we put in because of products made overseas where people get far less back than the value of the labor they put in. Think of it this way if everybody worked 40 hrs a week then the entire amount of things produced would have to be the equivalent of 40 hours of work. they would get back the fruits of the amount of labor they put in. However we get more than what we put in and people in other countries get less.
It also isnt’ in our best interest to promote peace and help other countries. Instead we need to maintain disorder so long as there are dictators out there we can keep in power and keep them fat and happy. They are our allies so long as they give away their countries labor and resources in exchange for staying in power and living in palaces. When they start to make more trouble than they are worth then they become enemies. We aren’t in the business of promoting progress. If people lived in peace and developed their countries we would compete with them for resources and lower our standard.
What we fail to realize in this country is the fact that we exploit other economies to maintain the standard of living we currently have. They say the gap between rich and poor is growing wider in this country when in fact it may be shrinking. Compare yourself to a rich person and you will find there isn’t much the rich have that you don’t. Most of a wealthy persons money is tied up in capital which creates no value and is a necessity anyways regardless of who owns it. If you look at the actual difference in consumer goods between the rich and working class in terms of actual functionality there is almost no difference. The only thing being rich in this country honestly earns you is a higher spot in the keeping up with the jonses willy waving contest. There are very few goods and services unique to the wealthy to differentiate the rich from working class.