Replies to post #10529 on Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[Zeev Hed]

Fred, I agree that this is probably the real reason for the Iraqi campaign. Luckily, in less than two years, the American nation will go to the ballot, and my guess is that the majority of the people will take the stance that we do not want to control the lives of others, and most of us do not feel good as dominators. We will also find it impractical, unless we decide to leave Europe to "dominate"Africa and make a Pax Europeana there. It will be impossible for us resource wise to swallow the role of international cop on the problems plaguing Africa, and in the process, redrawing the middle east in our own image, controlling SK craze, relaxing the Indian Pakistani conflict by force and defending Taiwan from China. I am not even going to go into the nightmare we might meet in pacifying Indonesia.

Zeev

[mlsoft]

Koikaze...

I find the allegations in your post to be totally unsubstantiated and frankly off the deep end. Show me some evidence to support your views.

Yes, we have bases in Germany left over from the cold war, and I think most of us would love to bring our boys home from there now that the cold war is over but they are needed at the moment in support of our involvement in the Balkans (which I oppose). But is that evidence of imperialism?? Hardly, for if true, then we are doing a very poor job of it as shown by Germany's recent votes against us in the UN. Japan is not very good at doing what we desire either, nor is South Korea. They are not behaving as colonies, for sure.

I think your friend needs to study what colonialism/imperialism really is, and then see how many instances the US has been involved in it. There have been some over the years, to be sure, but all were short lived and probably no nation in the history of the earth has conquered more territory only to give it all back while spending literally billions of dollars to help the local people make a go of governing themselves in freedom.

Sometimes a grasp of history is necessary for perspective, and your friend needs a good dose of it in my opinion.

mlsoft

[brainlessone]

the article draws a parallel between the "conquest" of germany and japan and the stationing of bases there.

The article also implies that these conquered countries of germany and japan became part of americas empire.

This is kark. I simply do not believe that germany and japan act as Americas henchmen or syncophants.

If a "conquered Iraq" behaves like a conquered Germany or Japan, why would this be bad for the world or the US?