Arrogant Empire

[jimmy]

This is an article from MSNBC's website...I warn you it is LONG but well worth the read...it's about the dangerous road America may be headed down but it presents a fairly even-handed approach to it (not typical anti-war, pro-Iraq sentiment)...if any of you have the time, I'd be really interested to hear your opinions on it...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/885222.asp?0cl=c1

 

[vraiblonde]

Here's the kicker paragraph(s):

American dominance is not simply military. The U.S. economy is as large as the next three—Japan, Germany and Britain—put together. With 5 percent of the world’s population, this one country accounts for 43 percent of the world’s economic production, 40 percent of its high-technology production and 50 percent of its research and development. If you look at the indicators of future growth, all are favorable for America. It is more dynamic economically, more youthful demographically and more flexible culturally than any other part of the world. It is conceivable that America’s lead, especially over an aging and sclerotic Europe, will actually increase over the next two decades.

Given this situation, perhaps what is most surprising is that the world has not ganged up on America already.

We have a very successful and prosperous country. There are a lot of flaws, that's for certain - but the flaws come from too much freedom and prosperity. Yes, you read that right.

People in those other countries don't have that - they don't become millionaires by "inventing" the Pet Rock. They don't sit around watching Springer all day and collect a check from the government - money that comes from people who are out working and being productive.

Citizens of some of these countries are wondering where their next meal is coming from and whether troops are coming in to rape their daughters. Other countries have grown lazy from US aid bucks and have become no more than welfare queens. Still others, like France, spend too much time resenting their reduced role in world affairs and not enough time contributing to the good of their nation and the world to increase that role.

Then there's the age-old human tendency to sit around and b*tch about something rather than get off your dead butt and fix it.

I get tired of people spewing about American "Imperialism". We worked hard for that - nobody GAVE that to us. Nobody GAVE Bill Gates a company - he BUILT it. The US doesn't force scientists to do research - we just give them the FREEDOM to do it. Nobody holds a gun to Julia Roberts' head and says, "Act or else!"

These other countries piss and moan about American "Imperialism", yet look at them importing our products - from our computers to our actors and singers. Why? Because we do it best, that's why.

This wasn't supposed to be this long but I got on a roll...

 

[jimmy]

Well, a bit windy, Vrai, ;-) but dead-on...But isn't that all the more reason to try and put the best image we can out to the international community? How can we claim the moral authority on our actions and desire the international community to trust us to act responsibily with our power when actions like this administration has taken send the message that we don't give a "F" about the international community at all?

 

[vraiblonde]

More wind

That's bass-ackwards, Jimmy. We ARE putting our best image forward and acting responsibly. It's the UN that's being irresponsible - gambling with people's lives, not following up on it's resolutions, electing Libyan terrorists to it's human rights commissions.

What's the point of having all that power and might if you're not going to use it to help the downtrodden? And that's exactly what the US has done all these years - giving money, food and military aid to those who can't survive without it. And like good little welfare recipients, they cry and complain when we want something for our money or we need to scale it back for economic reasons.

How much money does Iraq give out in foreign aid? How about France? Did the Germans pledge billions of $$$ to help the African AIDS situation?

Dictators and terrorists are a threat to world peace. There WILL BE NO PEACE with these maniacs in the world. Bush is the first Prez in a LOOOOOONG time who wants to get rid of them and I say it's about damn time. These protestors scream about what a bad person Dubya is - yet Dubya's not the one killing and torturing his citizens. He doesn't send Jenna and Barbara out there to beat the Cowboys when they lose a football game.

The US is right in this and the France/Germany/Russia crowd is wrong. It's that simple. And that's why we don't give a F about them or what they think.

 

[Kyle]

Re: More wind

Originally posted by vraiblonde
... The US is right in this and the France/Germany/Russia crowd is wrong. It's that simple. And that's why we don't give a F about them or what they think.

 

[Larry Gude]

Let's try it this way...

Today, Emilie flaunted standing house rules by making a mess of her room and refuses to clean it saying "I cleaned it last week" I see no reason to clean it again. Besides, it is sovereign territory."

That evening, she staged a protest when we went to the movies without her, which we missed most of because..we went to the movies.

Later on, Kyle, seeing an opening (her room is getting "that" way a bit as well), joined her sister nation/state wannabee AFTER we got back from the movies. She says that chores without representation "are unlawful, un-nice and just plain anti-kid. Emily and I stand united."

Hmm.

Now, not wanting to "rush to groundation" we indulged the complainers a bit. "What are your real complaints? Aren't you really trying to write your own rules? Take over power for yourselves?"

They pondered this, promising to submit, in writing, the details. As we went out the door they said "...don't forget yogurt and I need some shampoo, OK?" We smiled.

At the store, the Nextel beeped..."We need milk as well and I need to be picked up at 6 tomorrow after school, not 5, K?"
Smiles.

When we got home, Alex, (ours) Leah and baby Heather (regional neighbor nation/state wannabees) had joined in and actually had their hands out as we pulled in to the driveway which was littered with basketballs, bicycles and them stupid scooters that were "in" two years ago. We smiled.

The "UN" (united neighbors) set down their signs ("Busch is a duhmee" one said) long enough to help us carry in the groceries and helped themselves to the yogurt before one can of beans had been put away. We noticed the computer left on, "Simpsons" blaring and some dreck they'd downloaded to the PC on the cable modem line blasting away on a CD they burned. Add in book bags galore and shoes everywhere and we got us some civil unrest.

Now, if you think about it, this really isn't over simplifying things at all. It is, however, hypothetical because we employ whatever means necessary, as needed, to keep the Huns in line.

So, the REAL question is:

After kissing up to the world via the UN for so damn long, how is it even remotely reasonable to give a tinkers damn about what any of them think when they refuse, refuse! to do what we want once in awhile after all the things we do for the ungrateful bastards?

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by Larry Gude
After kissing up to the world via the UN for so damn long, how is it even remotely reasonable to give a tinkers damn about what any of them think when they refuse, refuse! to do what we want once in awhile after all the things we do for the ungrateful bastards?

Damn, I wish I'd have posted that! BTW, Kyle, Emilie and Alex are our daughters, for those of you who are going .

 

[MGKrebs]

I'm touched, but.. hehe

(you knew this was coming), I assume your house is not a democracy, or even a community of nation states. It's more like a benevolent (hopefully) dictatorship. Are you saying that this is equivalant to the US's place in the world?

 

[MGKrebs]

..and another thing,

you choose to measure a countries "worth' by it's economic power. That is a very American thing to say. I think other countries measure their worth differently. Infant mortality, level of poverty, crime, level of incarceration, pollution control, education.

I think other countries look at us and perhaps say, we are envious of their economic might, but if that's the price you have to pay to get it, no thanks.

Germany and France, Japan and Italy, even though they probably don't have the natural resources that we do, have higher taxes and more government regulation because they CHOOSE to. In other words, they could be more competitive with us if they chose to, but that is not the only important thing. And they give us a run for our money anyway.

 

[vraiblonde]

How to answer that...we operate with everyone getting their vote but, as permanent members, Larry and I get veto power - kinda like the UN.

Everyone has their agenda - our kids as well as these other nations. But at some point, you have to say, "Too bad - we're doing this for your own good because you're too stupid to know what's in your best interest." The French, Germans, Russians and whoever else aren't interested in the US's national security or even in making that freak quit torturing and killing his citizens. At some point, someone has to risk being unpopular and step up to the plate. In our house, it's me and Larry. In the world, it's Bush and Blair.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by MGKrebs
And they give us a run for our money anyway.

In...what?

 

[Christy]

Originally posted by vraiblonde
In...what?

Cheese and WHINE!

 

[Heretic]

In selling things to Iraq that they shouldn't have.

 

[MGKrebs]

So this world

is Bush and Blair's "house". I think the better analogy would be you and your neighbors deciding about rules for the neighborhood.

But back to your analogy, if your neighbor got tired of all those toys in the driveway, they could come over and deal with it themselves?

 

[vraiblonde]

What toys in what driveway?

 

[MGKrebs]

It's just an analogy. IF you had toys in the driveway. or IF you rneighbor had them, would you feel justified in destroying them?

 

[vraiblonde]

If my neighbors had nuclear weapons in their driveway, I would feel justified in going over there and destroying them, yes. Some other neighbors might say, "You can't do that! That's their property!" But Andrea and I would bulldoze over them and do what's right and in the best interest of our neighborhood.

 

[Biscuit]

Originally posted by MGKrebs
It's just an analogy. IF you had toys in the driveway. or IF you rneighbor had them, would you feel justified in destroying them?

Come on Krebs, You can't leave your toy's in the drive way! Your nieghbors in the hood would steal them

Why don't you move up here or NY to the center of the bullseye and maintain that sympathetic attitude after dodging a few love trinkets from you friendly Neighborhood mad man.

 

[willie]

Originally posted by MGKrebs
It's just an analogy. IF you had toys in the driveway. or IF you rneighbor had them, would you feel justified in destroying them?

To keep thhis analogy honest, didn't you mean to say "If your neighbor had unstable, lethal toys in the driveway and the neighbor was equally unstable"?

 

[MGKrebs]

Good point.

To take it a step further...

If you had an ex-con neighbor, who you were pretty sure was building a bomb in his basement, you would probably first call the cops. Because he's an ex-con, they don't need much to get a search warrant, so they check it out, but only find some wire and pipe. So they go away. THEN you might take matters into your own hands.