Instigations? You sound like a goat herder! Blindly support Israel? I think we support Israel with eyes wide open. I feel like we should support any liberal democratic society in the world that is under attack by disgusting animals like Hezbollah. As a matter of fact a US Carrier Group or two ought to be parked off the Lebanon coast running some sorties of our own. We have some seriously unfinished business against Hezbollah ourselves!
The Decaying of America.
- Thread starter SouthAmerica
- Start date
Instigations? You sound like a goat herder! Blindly support Israel? I think we support Israel with eyes wide open. I feel like we should support any liberal democratic society in the world that is under attack by disgusting animals like Hezbollah. As a matter of fact a US Carrier Group or two ought to be parked off the Lebanon coast running some sorties of our own. We have some seriously unfinished business against Hezbollah ourselves!
Let me guess.
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bsmeter: IT'S THE JEWS!!
IT'S THE GODDAMN JEWS
he screeches.
Then he vomits into his handbag.
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by the way, you never got back to us about your beliefs re: the assassination of JFK. We were wondering if you think that it was actually aliens from the Milky Way or do you think it more likely that the aliens came from a nearby galaxy like Andromeda?
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claywilk: How do you figure that "america under carter was in the dumps"? What objective notions lead you to this belief? Because Reagan told you so? We had some inflation that was primarily caused by a flood of money pumped into the system during the Nixon Administration, an adjustment to floating currencies, and the effects of a united OPEC oil embargo resulting from our support of Israel. During this period did we somehow cease to have a high standard of living relative to the rest of the world?, or somehow lose our superpower status? Just how was America "in the dumps" under Carter?
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July 30, 2006
SouthAmerica: You left out one of the major reasons for the high inflation during the Carter years â the massive defense spending that happened in the United States for many years during the Vietnam War.
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claywilk: How do you figure that "america under carter was in the dumps"? What objective notions lead you to this belief? Because Reagan told you so? We had some inflation that was primarily caused by a flood of money pumped into the system during the Nixon Administration, an adjustment to floating currencies, and the effects of a united OPEC oil embargo resulting from our support of Israel. During this period did we somehow cease to have a high standard of living relative to the rest of the world?, or somehow lose our superpower status? Just how was America "in the dumps" under Carter?
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July 30, 2006
SouthAmerica: You left out one of the major reasons for the high inflation during the Carter years â the massive defense spending that happened in the United States for many years during the Vietnam War.
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eusdaiki: On your argument about the foreign debt... you forget to mention that almost all countries have debts beyond their paying capabilities and almost none of them plans to pay those debts. The US is no exception.
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July 30, 2006
SouthAmerica: Brazil has been paying most of its foreign debt â Brazil has paid all its debt to the IMF, and to the Club of Paris group - Today the Brazilian cumulative outstanding debt is under $ 200 billion dollars.
The total Brazilian government outstanding debt today is less than the amount the United States has to pay in âinterest per yearâ which is an amount around $ 300 billion dollars on its humongous government outstanding debt.
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eusdaiki: On your argument about the foreign debt... you forget to mention that almost all countries have debts beyond their paying capabilities and almost none of them plans to pay those debts. The US is no exception.
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July 30, 2006
SouthAmerica: Brazil has been paying most of its foreign debt â Brazil has paid all its debt to the IMF, and to the Club of Paris group - Today the Brazilian cumulative outstanding debt is under $ 200 billion dollars.
The total Brazilian government outstanding debt today is less than the amount the United States has to pay in âinterest per yearâ which is an amount around $ 300 billion dollars on its humongous government outstanding debt.
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Try filling up your gas tank with "Democracy", come back and tell us how far it went.
If you're so big into Democracy why are'nt you doing anything in North Korea? Oh, that's right, they have no oil!! but they have nukes. LOL
Your puppets and ardent supporters in the region are all ruthless monarchies like Saudi Arabia ( aka Global Bankers of Terrorism), UAE, Kuwait. WTF happened to "democracy" there? . Here's the kicker, you guys hate Iran and Iran is a DEMOCRACY!! Unlike Saudi Arabia ( aka proven terrorists) the Iranians have elections! And they have lots and lots of OIL!! So basically you support a Terrorist Country AKA Saudi Arabia and are trying to destroy a Democracy aka Iran. Now lets see how you play twister on that one. ROTFLMAO! Here are the truths. Your government screams about "democracy" only when it suits your imperial objectives! And the American government supports Israel unconditionally against the Semites because your government is OWNED! by the zionists.
Can you stand up to the truth?
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Ogeima: Many factors come into play in the demise of a superpower. You say it yourself when you say that Afghanistan "had something to do" with the end of the USSR or that it "turned out to be its killer". It says that it was at least a symptom, but not necessarily a cause. If you die of the flue when you're 90 yo, did you die because of the flue, or because you were 90 yo? The USSR didn't survive its defeat in Afghanistan but the USA survived its defeat in Vietnam. I wouldn't jump to conclusions with Iraq, so far the US have been prompt to get back on their feet - whether or not they are nowadays made of clay, future will tell.
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July 30, 2006
SouthAmerica: The demise of a superpower happens over a long period of time â at least in the past for example the British Empire, the Soviet Empire, and so onâ¦.
The Afghanistan war debacle was one of the last nails in the coffin for the Soviets.
You said: âThe USSR didn't survive its defeat in Afghanistan but the USA survived its defeat in Vietnam.â
But if you look around; Russia still over there and they did not disappear from the map of the globe. You donât die completely â the Russians, and the British still around. You have a major decline in economic terms, and you lose your status as a superpower. You lose your clout, and prestige in the eyes of other people. It is a question of perception from where you are looking.
Regarding the US it is clear to me that the United States is declining very fast. Iraq will be very costly for the United States in many ways.
In Afghanistan the Mujahideen armed with stinger missiles gave a very hard time to the Soviet army - Bin Laden became a stinger missile expert in this war earning the nom de guerre "The Archer." And people such as Bin Laden became a key in helping the Mujahideen win the war against the Soviet Union.
In Iraq there are many reasons for the eventual defeat of the United States â among them is the weather and the type of natural environment they have in Iraq. The US army is being destroyed by the very high and constant heat and by the sand storms. Sand and any type of machine donât work well together â sand destroys your engines â helicopters, trucks, tanks, airplanes, and so onâ¦.
All your mechanic stuff requires constant maintenance and replacement. Iraq has turned out to reduce the life span of all these war toys and replacing them is going to cost probably close to $ 1 trillion dollars.
Iraq is a very expensive war to fight regarding its maintenance and replacement of all things necessary to wage war.
On top of that the US has all the other costs related to war â in lives, wounded soldiers, reconstruction, and so onâ¦.
Today the US government has $ 8 trillion dollars in outstanding cumulative debt â the US states has another $ 2 trillion dollars in outstanding debt. And the US government has on top of that another $ 60 - $ 70 trillion dollars in outstanding liabilities â and they are all in the process of coming due.
It is clear to me that the US is losing its clout and prestige around the world â a sure sign of a declining superpower.
The British still think they are a superpower today even tough they have not been one since the end of WW I. It is hard to let goâ¦..
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Ogeima: Many factors come into play in the demise of a superpower. You say it yourself when you say that Afghanistan "had something to do" with the end of the USSR or that it "turned out to be its killer". It says that it was at least a symptom, but not necessarily a cause. If you die of the flue when you're 90 yo, did you die because of the flue, or because you were 90 yo? The USSR didn't survive its defeat in Afghanistan but the USA survived its defeat in Vietnam. I wouldn't jump to conclusions with Iraq, so far the US have been prompt to get back on their feet - whether or not they are nowadays made of clay, future will tell.
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July 30, 2006
SouthAmerica: The demise of a superpower happens over a long period of time â at least in the past for example the British Empire, the Soviet Empire, and so onâ¦.
The Afghanistan war debacle was one of the last nails in the coffin for the Soviets.
You said: âThe USSR didn't survive its defeat in Afghanistan but the USA survived its defeat in Vietnam.â
But if you look around; Russia still over there and they did not disappear from the map of the globe. You donât die completely â the Russians, and the British still around. You have a major decline in economic terms, and you lose your status as a superpower. You lose your clout, and prestige in the eyes of other people. It is a question of perception from where you are looking.
Regarding the US it is clear to me that the United States is declining very fast. Iraq will be very costly for the United States in many ways.
In Afghanistan the Mujahideen armed with stinger missiles gave a very hard time to the Soviet army - Bin Laden became a stinger missile expert in this war earning the nom de guerre "The Archer." And people such as Bin Laden became a key in helping the Mujahideen win the war against the Soviet Union.
In Iraq there are many reasons for the eventual defeat of the United States â among them is the weather and the type of natural environment they have in Iraq. The US army is being destroyed by the very high and constant heat and by the sand storms. Sand and any type of machine donât work well together â sand destroys your engines â helicopters, trucks, tanks, airplanes, and so onâ¦.
All your mechanic stuff requires constant maintenance and replacement. Iraq has turned out to reduce the life span of all these war toys and replacing them is going to cost probably close to $ 1 trillion dollars.
Iraq is a very expensive war to fight regarding its maintenance and replacement of all things necessary to wage war.
On top of that the US has all the other costs related to war â in lives, wounded soldiers, reconstruction, and so onâ¦.
Today the US government has $ 8 trillion dollars in outstanding cumulative debt â the US states has another $ 2 trillion dollars in outstanding debt. And the US government has on top of that another $ 60 - $ 70 trillion dollars in outstanding liabilities â and they are all in the process of coming due.
It is clear to me that the US is losing its clout and prestige around the world â a sure sign of a declining superpower.
The British still think they are a superpower today even tough they have not been one since the end of WW I. It is hard to let goâ¦..
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bsmeter: Brazil should do what Argentina did. Show the finger to the global cabal of private bankers and write off it's debt by refusing to pay it. Much of it is interest payments anyway, write it off and be done with it.
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July 30, 2006
SouthAmerica: Brazil does not need to do that. If Brazil were a corporation Brazil would have a very clean balance sheet and very low outstanding debt. Brazil would be a major target for Wall Street takeover artists.
Today Brazil is positioned for a great future between its very healthy financial position and its independence from oil as a source of energy.
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bsmeter: Brazil should do what Argentina did. Show the finger to the global cabal of private bankers and write off it's debt by refusing to pay it. Much of it is interest payments anyway, write it off and be done with it.
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July 30, 2006
SouthAmerica: Brazil does not need to do that. If Brazil were a corporation Brazil would have a very clean balance sheet and very low outstanding debt. Brazil would be a major target for Wall Street takeover artists.
Today Brazil is positioned for a great future between its very healthy financial position and its independence from oil as a source of energy.
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Indeed, when I say the USSR didn't survive this defeat, I mean "the USSR as a superpower didn't survive", not "the USSR as physical territories on Earth didn't survive".
I agree that the debt problem seems huge, but then i don't have the knowledge to say that it can lead only to one irremediable path.
Yes and no. Players of its team don't stick to the US captain as much anymore, true. But then, it may be so because there's no other team left as opponents, only some people running naked across the field...
When there s only one superpower, it's natural for criticisms to polarize on it.
When China will be properly armed and developed and will claim its share of the throne, it will be easier for the US to gather coalitions of interests. Are you saying that by that time, the US won't be a superpower anymore? This I find plausible, but I won't bet my farm on it.
I'm not british nor have I ever lived there so I can't talk for them, but I don't feel that they think they're still a superpower, nor that their century lasted beyond WWI.
It's not that I disagree with you, it's just that I think you jump to conclusions too quickly, imo. The US, declining ot not, and despite the rise of other powers, still has ressources. I don't believe the captain will be naked soon...
But, which "time frame" are you speaking of?