When can the USA afford Peace?

[Mr Neutron]

That's no reason to not search for solutions. It used to be common knowledge that the earth was flat and the universe revolved around it.

If the biggest, bad ass on the block was less of a bully and more of a shining example of liberty and respect for others, maybe there would be more peace.

edits in italics, no more posting while drunk.

Edited for corrections... while sober.

 

[Mr Neutron]

I take serious issue here. America is indeed an imperialist nation, without a doubt. The only difference between us and more ancient countries or nation states or city states for that matter is that our anexation of other countries is done economicly and culturaly. We absorb other countries buy subsuming them with our mass produced, mass exported culture of coke and pepsi, housewifes of Atlanta, rap, KFC and mcdonalds. Of course if the nation in question balks, we apply sanctions and other pressures to ensure that all citizens in all countries are exposed to our "preferences". Just because we don't often use guns doesn't mean our methods aren't violent.

Rob Roy will agree with me I am certain. The difference between us here is that he is very opposed to this incursion and I am only mildly so.

I agree.... wait.... what? Yeah, I agree with canndo.

It is not regressive imperialism, it is progressive imperialism.

Another thing to remember is that war drives our technology.

 

[Mr Neutron]

Historically almost all wars can be traced to religion.

Afghanistan, Iraq pt 1, Iraq pt2, Somalia, Grenada, Panama, Nicaragua, Viet Nam, Korea, WWII, WWI, Spanish-American, American War between the States, American Revolution?

 

[Mr Neutron]

Eisenhower's famous warning of the military industrial complex seems to be haunting America pretty much since that farewell speech.

That, I agree with.

 

[Doer]

All Religion can be traced to War.

Please believe that I have put years of research into this, for my own reasons. War and conflict cause religions to form, not the other way around.

 

[Mr Neutron]

All Religion can be traced to War.

Please believe that I have put years of research into this, for my own reasons. War and conflict cause religions to form, not the other way around.

Afghanistan, Iraq pt 1, Iraq pt2, Somalia, Grenada, Panama, Nicaragua, Viet Nam, Korea, WWII, WWI, Spanish-American, American War between the States, American Revolution?

I don't see a connection with these examples.

 

[Doer]

Well, we have to go back very, very far. Way beyond modern war, and before stones. Back to sticks. Here, I can see that it is war that comes first. I can see that the need to appeal to a higher power comes from War.

I said that to counter, not these example you provide, but to counter the very idea that Religion is the root of War. I say it is the other way around.

And, btw, good list Mr. N. I bet we could go back in an un-broken chain of conflicts, named and un-named, to fade, without end to the earliest times. I certainly can assume the population bottleneck in West Africa, 70,000 bce, was much worsened and lengthened by conflict. Almost no resources, perhaps less than 1000 humans left. I can see that War began there and spawned a need for Deity.

Now we still fight and still beg Deity for victory. Doesn't make Deity real. But, War is real, yes?

 

[an11dy9]

Afghanistan, Iraq pt 1, Iraq pt2, Somalia, Grenada, Panama, Nicaragua, Viet Nam, Korea, WWII, WWI, Spanish-American, American War between the States, American Revolution?

When I said historically, I meant like the Crusades ect. I should have clarified myself more when I said this:

As religion has been on the decline, thank god (funny from an agnostic like myself), we have seen wars start from other reasons- not all of course. These reasons are numerous and in my opinion mostly corrupt and evil.

Because many of the more modern wars claim to have various reasons other than religion.

And the war in Afghanistan and Iraq certainly had to do with religion. WWII definitely did, killing the Jews. Even the American Civil War had some religious reasons- Often southern, white, salve owning aristocrats thought that it was their God given rights to own and control black people. Almost all wars have SOME religious edge to them.

 

[Mr Neutron]

Well, we have to go back very, very far. Way beyond modern war, and before stones. Back to sticks. Here, I can see that it is war that comes first. I can see that the need to appeal to a higher power comes from War.

I said that to counter, not these example you provide, but to counter the very idea that Religion is the root of War. I say it is the other way around.

And, btw, good list Mr. N. I bet we could go back in an un-broken chain of conflicts, named and un-named, to fade, without end to the earliest times. I certainly can assume the population bottleneck in West Africa, 70,000 bce, was much worsened and lengthened by conflict. Almost no resources, perhaps less than 1000 humans left. I can see that War began there and spawned a need for Deity.

Now we still fight and still beg Deity for victory. Doesn't make Deity real. But, War is real, yes?

Oh, excuse me, the OP says "USA" so, naturally I thought we were talking about the US.

 

[Mr Neutron]

When I said historically, I meant like the Crusades ect. I should have clarified myself more when I said this:

see above post

 

[Mr Neutron]

And the war in Afghanistan and Iraq certainly had to do with religion. WWII definitely did, killing the Jews. Even the American Civil War had some religious reasons- Often southern, white, salve owning aristocrats thought that it was their God given rights to own and control black people. Almost all wars have SOME religious edge to them.

I'm no fan of organized religion but I'm not blinded by hate, either. Your view of history has no gravitas.

 

[UncleBuck]

I'm no fan of organized religion but I'm not blinded by hate, either. Your view of history has no gravitas.

[video=youtube;0xRrUVVKigk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xRrUVVKigk[/video]

 

[Red1966]

america is not an emperialist nation, we need to understand that fact, we are a republic. stop policing the world with soldiers, satellite and drones can work just fine, as do informants and snitches. less occupation and bloodshed, more spec ops missions and one shot one kill's like what happened with osama.

Osama was shot twice! The first shot was a fatal one, tho.

 

[Red1966]

What happens when the cop is a bully, does that world still appeal to you?

Cops are always bullies.

 

[danbridge]

I think if the entire world bows down to all the whims of the USA, there will be peace. The USA is policing the world for its own best interests. Is as if we have some kind of plan to democratize (is that a word?) all the countries so we can control them. But we are making big mistakes. We gave all of our policing money to China. I am not stating this as fact, i am stating IMHO

 

[Red1966]

All Religion can be traced to War. Please believe that I have put years of research into this, for my own reasons. War and conflict cause religions to form, not the other way around.

That's a novel thought. I can't argue with it. I know that it does happen, but not that it is universal.

 

[danbridge]

And the war in Afghanistan and Iraq certainly had to do with religion. WWII definitely did, killing the Jews. Even the American Civil War had some religious reasons- Often southern, white, salve owning aristocrats thought that it was their God given rights to own and control black people. Almost all wars have SOME religious edge to them.

I'll tend to agree with that. It may not always be the number 1 reason, but it sure has been prevailant over the years.