Quote from 151:
Monty, I think you are looking at this from the wrong angle. What we should be doing is comparing modern (US) imperialism with the best examples of imperialism in the past.
I think anyone would agree that the world under US imperialism is a better place than the other examples.
If it wasn't you would not have been able to call it "modern imperialism". You would have just said imperialism. So at the very least the US has brought imperialism into the present day world of human rights and equal opportunity.
Certainly there are examples of injustice by the US due to its imperialistic actions, but I believe we should be given the benefit of the doubt, that in such a vast world with so many humans involved right and good decisions cannot always be expected to come out.
And I hope that if the worst was to occur you would realize how lucky we are to have our military stationed far and wide.
Or would you rather look back and say how smart it was of some other nation, one that your children now slave for, to have prepared their military for the worst?
Well said. That's probably the best response to my comments on ET... ever. Well thought out and not insulting.
To further my argument though, I think the U.S. is strong enough that it shouldn't have to use militarily force... but rather put financial pressure or just use diplomatic influence to obtain it goals.
Let's face it, the strategy of overthrowing government's and installing puppet leaders has backlashes. Best example, we helped put Saddam Hussein in power and then he turned on us. We also helped Osama bin Laden in the late 1970s when the Soviet Union was invading Afghanistan... We even helped train the Taliban. This goes on and on elsewhere in the world, particularly South America.
I think we are strong enough to get things done diplomatically and not through the military. I believe there will be serious backlashes in the middle east. We are not seen as liberators, but rather as invaders. That is not good for us in the long-term. Since 9/11, the world has become a more dangerous place and anti-American views have grown not with just our enemies, but also with our friends (i.e. Europe). The War on Terror is a failure and cannot be won. Bush policies has made the world a more dangerous place. What good was it to invade Iraq... no terrorists came from there? Now there are terrorist camps as a result of us invading them. We are just making the middle east less stable. And what is this nonsense with Iran? Iran historically is not a aggressive country. Yes, they do not like Israel... but yes, America does not like Venezuela.... that does not mean we will nuke or attack them. And what's the problem with them obtaining nukes? Someone should tell us Americans we cannot have nukes, considering we are the only country dumb enough to use them on a citizen population (Japan). What has Iran done to us? Is it worse to kidnap Americans in a embassy or have the CIA overthrow a democratic gov't to install a fundamentalist Shah dictator in power for several decades? If Iran wants nukes, so be it. Dangerous countries like China, Russia and Pakistan already have them. By having nukes, Iran is protecting itself from foreign invaders, like the U.S. who is invading its neighbors (Afghanistan/Iraq/etc.). Who is the really the aggressor?
Additionally, why spend money to preserve our military overseas? Do we really need 50,000 soldiers in South Korea? We could put that money to better use protecting our own borders (i.e. Mexico) and taking care of our citizens on American soil. There is a huge transfer of wealth from citizens to the industrial military complex... and mainly through tax dollars.
