I Told You That Bush Would.... (something Stupid)

[jlhaslip 4]

I have held off replying to this post for a couple of reasons, but now is the time to post my reply.

Impeachment is an available option, however, similar to other times in the recent past (Nixon/Vietnam Period comes to mind) the timing of the Impeachment process is terrible. The process will do more damage than usual because the United States are simply in too much turmoil at present. The Oil Crisis, the Iraqi war, Afghanistan, and the precarious state of the World economy are too delicate right now and to add the Impeachment process to the mix will not make the US position any better. Better to deal with the Devil you know and show a position of solidarity towards him in public than to have to deal with the unsettling Impeachment process... IMHO.

As to the bullying nature of the US throughout the World, I agree. There has been a great influence of "Americanism" in this last century and the US is now the dominant influence. Other countries have been in similar positions before, (USSR in the Eastern Bloc, Great Britain historically) and look where they are today. The USSR has disbanded itself, and Great Britain is not the influence it once was. The lesson here is that given enough time the US will also wither in its dominant position. What will replace it? I don't know for sure, but there is hope that it would be something more "universal". Ideally, a New World Order??? A government of the world??? The United Nations???

There are many faces to the US position. Here in Canada there is as great an influence by the US culture as anywhere else in the World. Something like 80% of our population lives within 100 miles of the border with them and the little influences like the presence of their television signals in our airways has a great impact on our culture, but no influence is as strong as the economic stranglehold on our Economy. And we are "friends". They buy our water, our wood (Softwood Lumber issue aside for now, please. That is another rant.), our mined resources, our food output (grains, corn, etc) and we have allowed them to "own" our manufacturing processes to the maximum extent that they want to. In return, we purchase stuff back from them and give the US Corporations bundles of money as Corporate profits. So, are we any better off than the Iraqi's? Not in my opinion. Only difference is that we let them and there is a noticeable lack of guns involved.

And to all the Americans reading this, please don't take this personal. I am not blasting Americans as individuals, just stating an opinion that the United States as a culture and as an economic force is in an advantageous position and are reaping the benefits, as most other countries would do under similar circumstances (refer to USSR and GB info above). Maybe it is time to recognize that the economic issues are what the rest of the World sees most readily. The results are the conflicts it creates. US dependence on foreign oil is not neccisarily best resolved by invading Iraq, or any other country. The Image of the US is as the playground bully described above.

Right or wrong, that is the perception. And perceptions are held to be facts until some other influence alters it. If the US was to spend as much on feeding the world as it does on its Military machine, the world would be a better place.

And we, as citizens of the World, should remedy the flaws in the system.

[Kioku 0]

I guess that since I am a pacifist (and don't own a gun), I have to appeal to the nature of those friends of mine who are NRA ___(insert adjective here)___'s

Wars are needed with how the world works, hippy. Should we just let Iran get the bomb and everything will work out? As I've stated earlier, this isn't Gum drop lolipop fun land. War happens. People die, get over it. If you can't accept that death will occur and everyone you know will die, why were you born?

[Zabb 0]

Bush is just a puppet. REALLY research 9-11 and you will probably at least agree that if our government didn't start it they surely knew about it and did nothing to stop it. as far as iraq goes yes we were lied to and so was bush , keep in mind the documents released to the public by our "intelligence" stated that iraq had chemical and biological weapons. whether or not they did I feel doesn't matter. saddam is a worthless piece of garbage and needed to be removed. heres a true analogy. when I was in 2nd grade their where a few older kids that would pick on me and my friends, beat us up steal our stuff, etc... we knew couldn't tell on em but I told my brother who is 4 years older than me 2 years older than these other kids. he basically told me to deal w/ it fight back and see what happens. after several days of black eyes and bloody noses my brother realized I was doing nothing but getting my butt kicked he stepped in kicked the crap outta 2 of them and they never touched me again.I think ,for whatever the reason we're there, saddam was the bully the iraqi people where the targets and the USA had to play big brother because no one else would.our government NOT JUST BUSH (you really think he's that smart?) has installed the most unpatriotic act ever and disquised it as the patriot act.and to the guy who complained about airport security.. go ahead and give up your rights but stop offering mine too.

Edited May 1, 2006 by Zabb (see edit history)

[Galahad 0]

Wars are needed with how the world works, hippy. Should we just let Iran get the bomb and everything will work out? As I've stated earlier, this isn't Gum drop lolipop fun land. War happens. People die, get over it. If you can't accept that death will occur and everyone you know will die, why were you born?

Hippy? So this is how it still works, anyone who is for peace, a pacifist if you will, is a hippy, and everyone who is for violence is a god given addition to Earth?

Which nation was the only one that used the nuclear device, or should I say, weapon of mass destruction? United States! And they used it twice! And US still has nuclear program... Who gives them the right to do so? Who give US the right, to police the whole world? US is being hated more and more, throughout the world, and it's people like you Kioku, that only add oil to fire... Why aren't you in Iraq? Why aren't you defending yourself? You are just like ton's of people in my own country, that protect Kosovo, from a 200 hundred kilometers distance, but when they had to chance to actualy go, they chickened out... If you want to defend and protect something, go do it, don't just talk about it...

America IS the world bully, and I think the United Nations should take some action, because, if US doesn't have to follow the rules everyone else does, others will follow their example... So far, the existence of the United Nations is pointless, and are setting double standards, showing how United States can do whatever they want, and go around the United Nations and United Nations Security Council, while they demand the rest of the world, to listen to what the United Nations say...

I also agree on the point, that we should try and put ourselves in common American citizens shoes, and try and see things their way... They do live IN the box, and can't see past what their own government is showing them, and letting them see... I start from my own country, where about 70% of the population, can't see past what our government is serving us... Only those of us who use Internet every day, can see things from outside the box, and form a normal oppinion about things... I don't blame the American people in general, just those who think US has to play big brother to the whole world... Actualy, they play big brother only to those countries, that have something US can use for it's own purposes, be it land, oil, or other natural resources... Every country has extremists, same here, same in US, Canada, or any other country... But every normal, rational thinking person knows, that violence only brings more violence, which in turn brings more violence, and round it goes...

If indeed US would take all their money dedicated to wars and killing people, and used it to feed hungry, a world would indeed be a very brighter and better place...

Just try to mind other peoples business less, and clean up your own yard first... It's simple as that...