NICELY DONE JIMMY!=)
ok, first, I'm very disturbed by the radical and endless ranting of your country's greatness, reagan! Nonetheless, impressed by your patriotism, but real patriotism comes not from exalting your nation's lead in the democratic world alone, it comes from understanding that America is backed by people, and people DO make mistakes. You seem to be quite confused in your ideas of America's "foreign and military policies" as you call them, I would rather call them, policies which only proliferate fear and the dollar imperialism. What I mean is, at times you are on the offensive front and sometimes on the defensive with cries of "we were simply protecting ourselves"--example--
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Originally posted by reagan80
Actually, I wouldn't mind the US becoming isolationist again. I wish we could just mind our own business and keep all of our troops at home. I wouldn't mind giving our hegemon status to the European Union. Then, they would know what it feels like when the world hates you for trying to single-handedly maintain global stability and security. Then, they would know what it feels like to have the rest of the world pray for their collapse. Then, they would know what it feels like to have a bullseye painted on their foreheads by fanatical terrorists. I wouldn't mind seeing what the French would do if terrorists flew a plane into the Eiffel Tower or what the Germans would do if the Reichstag was destroyed.
Ok, now, America is not being pressured by anyone to come and save the world and you are not obliged to fulfill any obligations anywhere! I'm actually quite appalled at the way you disregard the mere existence of every other country except if they have oil, or are have a condusive environment that let you shit-load all your unused and old weapon stock and sell them to poor countries. Don't fool yourself by once again quoting this and saying in reply--"WE ARE ONLY HELPING THEM BY SELLING ARMS". The US sells arms to Pakistan and other countries even after it is convinced that they are promoting terrorism and are now even being host to Osama...for what, you ask? Your noble country sells arms and manipulates it foreign policy to its convenience, bacause it knows that it needs to trash its arms build-up somewhere and thus encourages proxy wars.
US has NEVER been isolationist, ever since the U-boats sunk Lusitania on 5th April 1917...America has been the protagonist in world politics, and not in a good way, ok maybe it did do some good in the economic front with its Dawes (1924) and Young (1929) plans and then later the Marshall Plan, but otherwise, when it lent money to countries after the wars for their reconstruction, it has always reminded these countries of what it "owes" America, not only monetarily, but politically or any other way.
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Originally posted by reagan80
3. Liberals love talking about Bush coddling to the so-called "wealthiest one-percent." Liberals don't realize that Democrats want to punish people for their success. Whenever people make a profit in the risky stock market, the Democrats want it taxed. If someone becomes a doctor, engineer, or successful entrepreneur, the Democrats want them taxed heavily so that they can "pay back their fair share" to society. Doctors and engineers worked their a$$es off to get through college or medical school, but liberals love saying that their success wasn't earned and instead claim that it was GIVEN to them by the "little people." Even though the rich have their income taxed most today, Democrats still want to increase their taxes until more than half of their income is taken by the government. Liberals don't know how to read statistics when people are taxed here. First off, a millionaire probably pays around a $100,000 in income taxes annually and got only $12,000 back from the government. A working class employee that probably paid around $150 in income taxes will get a smaller percentage of their money back because they didn't pay as much in taxes as a rich person. Democrats want to have a Robin Hood-like wealth redistribution program. They want the working class guy that paid $150 dollars in taxes to get a $12,000 tax refund and the rich guy to get taxed more while getting nothing back in return. While they're at it, why don't they just kill my family and give our home, money, and possessions to people that are "have-nots" like Lenin did?
Umm...you also said that
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Originally posted by reagan80
"Instead of being punitive toward Japan and Germany, we helped rebuild them with the Marshall Plan so that the Soviets couldn't invade them while they were still weakened."
America was so generous to give aid to these countries as they believed that poverty bred communism and took that dictum seriously...and basically...they were PARANOID! And somewhere financial assistance was offered to revive European economies in view of opening up prime markets--once again a hidden motive! In today's world if you want to survive you've got to be the best and also shrewd, but America is neither, all its IT and other man-power is of Chinese, Japanese and Indian origin, it's manipulative and cunning in its policies!
I really don't care whether bush was flying planes or giving himself a blow job (more likely;p) during the war, he sure isn't doing any good to the world now. Believing that you shoulder a giant responsibility in cradling the world is bullshit! America, or any other country doesn't have the time to "look after" the world, and ask anyone, America isn't doing that. They support people who support them...
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Originally posted by reagan80
I NEVER said that no other country on this planet should have nukes. I only said that dangerous, tyrannical non-democracies shouldn't have nukes. I'm glad the United Kingdom, France, Israel, and India have nuclear weapons. They're our allies and I don't have a problem with them. I'm glad that we have democratic allies with nukes that could help us deter Russian or Chinese aggression.
Ummm...who are you to decide...who should have what type of govt. and who should have nukes...you're openly admitting that America misuses the UN to its whims and fancies. HEY KOFI! GET YOU FREAKING TEAMS OUT THERE AND SEARCH THE DAMN PLACE!
I DIDNT FIND ANYTHING, SIR!
OH! DIDN'T YOU LOOK IN MY ASS? Umm...I'D RATHER SEARCH SADDAM'S!
Communism that exists today is very different from the Marxist approach of communism. It has been adapted to suit the conditions in China and the erstwhile USSR, it is no more the religion/state/pvt-property/exploitation less society once propagated by Marx. China has many religions, it has allowed the entry of MNCs and US investments into it's economy. USSR also had many changes in its policies with the perestroika and glasnost programs. During the Great Depression, it was because of America's interventionist economic policies that more than half of the world was a victim of it as well, USSR was the only country in the world not affected by it!
Agreed, communism isn't perfect, but then neither is democracy..America has violated the most important principle of democracy--FREEDOM! freedom to choose one's own govt.; freedom from external rule; freedom to make ones own economic policies I can go on forever!
Ok, I know I'm getting boring, I'll make it quick.
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Originally posted by reagan80
"Unlike you, I try to look at the positive side of your country without dwelling on the negatives."
Ok, no country-bashing here, I know its harsh, but if America keeps going on this way (Bush remains in power) then the negative will become more glaring than the positive.
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Originally posted by reagan80
Since you like sticking it to my country, I've got a question for you, MasJ? You bashed my country's involvement in the Vietnam War, but why is your country in Kashmir? Is India trying to spread "goodwill" among the Muslim-majority there? Is Hindu India winning any "hearts and minds" among the separatists? If most of the people there want to be annexed by Pakistan, why are your people interfering with their sovereignty? It seems hypocritical to bash us when your country is doing something similar to quell the "popular resistance" in Kashmir just like we did with the "popular resistance" of Vietnam.
Umm...maybe you haven't looked at the map of India, Kashmir is a part of it, for a brief history of how Kashmir is a part of India, take a look at this--http://www.ummah.org.uk/kashmir/history.htm or maybe this--since its from an american site, it may be more convincing:p--http://www.american.edu/TED/ice/kashmiri.htm
Nothing else to say at the moment, except...the US is NOT perfect...learn to accept it's flaws, if not yours.