"all we would need to do is leave people alone"

[MACH1]

Originally Posted by Leftoverhard

I think we should bomb everyone until they agree with us and bow to our will. Everyone.

That or we could just mustard gas our own that don't conform.

[Vincent]

Originally Posted by ricardisimo

There's a simple solution, which is to listen to what a majority of our own people believe on this topic and others.

Being an American, I am viscerally opposed to anything that compromises our sovereignty.

Yeah "evuhbuddy loves the idea of an ICC" but nobody knows what the hell it is...

Four in ten Americans (39%) say they have heard or read about the possibility of forming a permanent International Criminal Court, including 4% who know a lot and 13% who know some. The majority of Americans (61%) report that they have not heard or read anything at all about this initiative. (Roper/ASW) http://www.amicc.org/docs/WICC_USpublicOp.pdf

"I didn't see 'Ghandi' but I loved it" Steve Martin 1986

Originally Posted by ricardisimo

Our propaganda tells us that we are a democracy, so this should be natural for us.

We are a representative republic. The Framers did it that way because "democracies" have a tendency to run amuck.

Originally Posted by ricardisimo

Among other things, a clear majority of U.S. citizens support the U.N. - and not the U.S. - taking the lead in peacekeeping and military intervention.

A "majority" voted for bho as well. Public opinion doesn't necessarily serve as an indicator of the best direction we as a nation should go.

Originally Posted by Leftoverhard

I think we should bomb everyone until they agree with us and bow to our will. Everyone.

Yer coming around Lefty. You been doing the breathing exercises?

Originally Posted by MACH1

That or we could just mustard gas our own that don't conform.

Nah. Sarin. I hear the trails are sensational.

Originally Posted by ricardisimo

There's a simple solution, which is to listen to what a majority of our own people believe on this topic and others. Our propaganda tells us that we are a democracy, so this should be natural for us.

Among other things, a clear majority of U.S. citizens support the U.N. - and not the U.S. - taking the lead in peacekeeping and military intervention. A clear majority also support the ICC. I think we'd all be amazed to see just how well behaved our presidents and senators can be if they know they can hang for their actions.

The last thing I want is a government/president that's afraid to act or a military that second guesses everything. I think we do what we do because we're the USA and because no one else will. That's what makes us, us for better or worse. Think about how much BAD the US has eradicated from this earth. Not to mention it's also in OUR best interest to keep the other countries in check (N Korea, Iran).

[GoSlash27]

My opinion of our role in the Middle East (because you asked) is none.
We have the means to be self-sufficient without ME oil, although strangely enough the left-Dems seem to prefer the dependence.
We have no obligation to defend Israel, although strangely enough the fundy Republicans seem to think otherwise.

We leave them the heck alone, so long as they are not attacking us. If/ when any nation attacks us, we declare war as the Constitution demands and we destroy their means to wage war. Ruthlessly and relentlessly. If a group attacks us, we focus our efforts on eliminating that groups ability to mount offensive action while being as careful as possible to 1) alienate that group from it's base and 2) eliminating it's ability to mount offensive action.
The bad guys learn real quick to let this sleeping dog lie.

[tony hipchest]

no nukes. no holy wars.

but manifest destiny, carpe diem, and plenty of daisy cutters and MOAB's.

thats all.

The US could stop giving Israel 7million dollars a day in military aid to make killing Palestinians easier.

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/usaid.html

That might keep the Islaamic Terrorists at bay.

[Godfather]

Originally Posted by SteelCityMom

They are a country that hasn't seen or been in war for over 100 years, yet they have the capacity to have a large, capable army ready in a very short amount of time. They are also very economically stable. Their country is like a blueprint for domestic success and stability.

The only reason they stayed neutral in WW2 is they secretly collaborated with the Nazis. Spineless appeasers. I'll pass on being like them.

Their government is also known for extreme meddling in church affairs. I prefer to live in a free country, but that's just me.

[urgle burgle]

this is a good thread......very interesting.

which way do we go.....

the middle east......the great quandry of our time......part of me wants to nuke, part of says thats bad. my friends that have been to both lovely countries want to get out and then nuke.....stay and finish.....get out. all for a myriad of reasons. until we decide to use this countys assets for energy, we are tied to that little piece of Heaven.

debate should be.....are we isolationist like ol georgie w. wanted, or do we "promote" democracy. is it right to promote democracy. worked out well in s korea, japan, and germany. but with germany and japan we had to kick the hell out and conquer to do it right. and japan had to attack us to bother to really get involved, and not just lend lease. the isolationists kept us out of WW1 and WW2 for a long time. should we have stayed out? i mean, technically Japan attacked us, not Germany. technically. in WW1 ( the dumbest war of all time), we only got involved because of politics, money and the changing feeling back home. this was only because G town went all sub crazy and torpedoed everything in sight. we still coulda stayed out.
korea........should we have let sk go down to nk? i mean it was a UN fight. but, if the argument is that most of the country wants the UN to fight...........there track record is very poor. we headed the deals in SK, Bosnia, GW1, etc. the UN never wants to fight or do anything bad to anybody. i mean the Human rights council has how many piss poor countries on it? please. they use us to do any heavy lifting, throw a few hundred troops in here and there and then complain about everything. the UN is useless. great idea (just as the league of nations was), makes everyone feel all warm and fuzzy, but accomplishes nothing it was intended to do. just like the concept of marxism........in utopia great....but goes against human nature, so forever doomed to failure.

what i love...is i used to date an afghani girl who used to live under the russian regime....had friends and family killed by the t-ban. her view.......nuke all of it and start over. i laughed.

Originally Posted by Godfather

The only reason they stayed neutral in WW2 is they secretly collaborated with the Nazis. Spineless appeasers. I'll pass on being like them.

Their government is also known for extreme meddling in church affairs. I prefer to live in a free country, but that's just me.

You live in a free country? That's news to me!

[urgle burgle]

Originally Posted by SteelCityMom

Love that video Vincent...and to speak a little further on the matter of their national security - not only do they require military training and keeping civilians armed, they also have shelters built into the mountains with years and years of supplies ready to go (all provided by the government). Their highway medians are removable and their highways become emergency airstrips. It is also mandatory that all houses and apartment buildings have fallout shelters built on the property. Many of their bridges, roads, tunnels and railways are wired with explosives as well, but this is an old practice from WWII and the Cold War days (though IMO I see no reason to stop doing it).

They are a country that hasn't seen or been in war for over 100 years, yet they have the capacity to have a large, capable army ready in a very short amount of time. They are also very economically stable. Their country is like a blueprint for domestic success and stability.

youve got some good points mom....but a few probs with the swiss scenario. i have a bit of first hand with a country set up like that. S Korea is essentially the same. they have what they call "rock drops" and "side drops" set up on all main MSRs. meaning pre rigged explosives in overpasses and whatnot to blow if NK goes all crazy. plus all men mandatory either go KATUSA or seve in ROCK army for 2 years. those cats are bad ass. the catch is this.......both swiss and SK know they wouldnt last without US support. they count on it. SK direclty and swiss indirectly. plus both countries have way less of population and geography to cover. SK is size of Indiana, and I think, swiss is smaller.

big difference trying to establish the same strategy here. plus making service mandatory would never fly. left and libertarians would kill it due to constitutional freedoms. which is funny cause the left would love to make community service mandatory. go figure. i think the constitutionality of it would be a no go. kinda like making it mandatory to vote. that aint gonna work either. dont get me wrong i would love to see some kind of mandatory service, but the constitutionality of it.......not sure.