America's crisis

[Jlop985]

America is in a crisis. The outcome of this crisis will define this nation's history, and its legacy.This modern-day crisis is on the level of the second world war, or the cold war, except many people do not recognize the situation.
America was founded on principles. While that is debatable, one can argue that principles have shaped this country more than most others. I see America as standing for freedom, democracy, peace, and prosperity in the world. Many people around the planet see this country as an inspiration for them, and a model for their own countries.
Circumstances have allowed the USA to become the most powerful country in the world. This may appear to be good, but there is a dark side to global hegemony. Certain people will do anything to keep America on top. They hold no principle except the principle of might makes right.
While America may be admired by many, it is feared by most. Americans do not think of their government as something to be afraid of. Others, however, feel very uncomfortable with America excersizing its power. They have some sense. What other country has the capacity to strike anywhere, at anytime, with destructive and overwhelming force? Americans do not see much of their military, but others do. The United States keeps 200,000 troops stationed overseas. Most of the people of the countries in which these troops are stationed do not want them there. How would you feel if the Japanese had a military base in Los Angeles? If we were at war with Mexico, it would be one thing. However, many of these bases are left over from the cold war, and the only countries in which American forces are in actual combat are Afghanistan and Iraq.
Our overseas presence is distressing enough for many people, butmore are angered and frightened at the ways that the US uses force to get what it wants. The US has a long history of military interventionism. This problem only got worse after the first gulf war. When the American people saw all the footage of smart bombs hitting their targets, they assumed that war had transformed into a surgical and precise matter, and by extension, that non-combatants would not be harmed in wars any longer. With their concsiences clear, the American people supported wars that their leaders procured. This culminated in the invasion of Iraq.
Iraq had never attacked the United States. It had no WMDs. The UN was against military action. There was no justification for the attack. True, Saddam was a bad man, but how many of you would accept an invasion of your country by another country claiming their goal is to get rid of a leader that you do not particularly like? It is the responsibility of the Iraqi people to free themselves. We can support opposition groups, call for regime change, and form all kinds of sanctions, but the ultimate responsibility for revolution lies in the hands of the country's own citizens.
In the invasion of Iraq, the American government accepted to participate in the game of "lets-be-the-hegemon". ALL hegemons, all powerfull states have a fall. They try to accomplish too much, and that leads to ruin. I am not ashamed to say that I love my country. I do not want it to share the same ignoble fate of the Roman empire, the Spanish empire, or the British empire. Americans need to stand up and say that America shall not be an empire! We need to base our diplomacy on respect and principle. One may say that states operate out of the lust for power. There are no states. There are only people in charge of others. People will respect principle. Most people aer not amoral; they will respect sincerity. This is the way in which the American legacy will last. Liberal democratic values will be accepted when people admire the US. The US shall not fall if it does not exploit its powerful position. Our country and our ideals will endure once we do this. Freedom and democracy, however, will be rejected by the world if its main proponent, the US, abuses its power. America must excersize its power with great caution, since people are wary of it. Those who live by the sword, die by the sword. America must not live by the sword, in order to survive.
This is not a partisan issue. This is not an issue of petty politics. The future of America depends upon the actions we take abroad. If the US keeps on recklessly throwing its weight around, one country, one day, will rise up to challenge it. This challenge will lead to America's downfall. Conflict breeds conflict. Cooperation will lead to peace. Please, do not deceive yourself with other issues. This issue is the most important one facing us Americans. This year, do not vote for anybody who will abuse American power. We must not reelect the current leadership which has abused American power greatly in the past. We must recognize our mistakes as Americans, before some other nation makes us learn these lessons by force.

[RedSkunk]

omfg WORD jlop.

Nice piece, the only thing I would really debate about, is where you start talking about how abusing our hegemony will result in our fall. While this is true - it will definitely speed up our fall - the US is doomed to fail sometime in the future. No superpower remains such forever, regardless of whether it is right, or might. But by quelling our imperialist tendencies, we can delay the inevitable.

[niffweed17]

Amen to everything you said. The perfect reasoning of anti-military actions.

At 9/14/04 10:00 PM, skunk_rectum wrote: omfg WORD jlop.

Nice piece, the only thing I would really debate about, is where you start talking about how abusing our hegemony will result in our fall. While this is true - it will definitely speed up our fall - the US is doomed to fail sometime in the future. No superpower remains such forever, regardless of whether it is right, or might. But by quelling our imperialist tendencies, we can delay the inevitable.

This is probably true, but, if we adhere to the advice given here in the longest post i've seen in a while, the U.S. does not need to be a world power. There is an interesting little passage in the great book Catch-22 that I like to refer to: An italian man was talking about the fact that Italy was getting their heads clobbered in during World War II. This is a great thing, as Italy will lose the war desperately, and be a little ignored nation in Europe for many years. The ignored nations survive while the great powerhouses die.

If the U.S. severely decreases its military presence and tries to make peace with the world, the U.S. can become that Italy, and stay along. Now, there is something to be said in that the U.S. would not be able to do that from its current political position, due to the fact that we would likely be attacked. Meaning: As the U.S. currently is a world power, it will fall. But if it ceases to become one, it may elimenate the inevitable. There is a simple solution to this; lose a war. While I am not advocating that the U.S. go out and lose a war, it would be a way to make the contry last, if that is their long-term concern.

[RedSkunk]

There is no reason we have to cripple ourselves, becoming some lame ass Italy clone.. It just takes intelligence on the part of our foreign policy.

[RedSkunk]

And Italy hasn't even been a damn country for two hundred years now. I'm talking about on the long term. Regardless of US policy, it will stay the reigning superpower for many decades to come.

[straight1]

We must not reelect the current leadership which has abused American power greatly in the past.

Im right with you on not reelecting bush. however, bush and kerry aside, its the system thats corrupt. no matter who wins, much the same ppl stay in power... the corporates. not faceless boggie men of conspiracy theories, but the guys that fund the campaigns with obscene amounts of cash.... the corperations that now run your military, it looks like they are out of control, and i dont see kerry pulling them in. he simply cant.

We must recognize our mistakes as Americans, before some other nation makes us learn these lessons by force.

the commentators that seem to be able to make the most sense of this for me conclude that its not other nations that are attacking you, its a clash of ideologies[sp?], or even more a clash of modernaty [a fight between modern ppl and ppl that pine for a simpler past age]. anyway, its not nations v nations, that would be easy to 'win' or 'negotiate', its alot easier when you have a target, with motives you understand. atm the bulk of the US doesnt seem to even know that the wars really about!!

[Demosthenez]

Its easy to preach isolationism but hard to make it happen.

And one question. Why should we bust our ass to help Europe after BOTH wars and then have them crap on us and we give up our bases because they dont like them? We defend them and rebuild them, and we take little pieces of territory from them as bases. If Russia was still a problem, no one would be complaining with us now. There are lots of problems in the world, and commonly America seems the only one to do anything about it. We get knocked on for our aid to Somalia and knocked on for not helping out more in Liberia (I think Liberia is who I mean). Damned if we do, damned if we dont.

And I can say with perfect certainty that America could become isolationist and live with it, but the rest of the world? Doubt it. If we became isolationist, the rest of the world would suffer much more than we would. And if America doesnt police the world, who would? The UN? Dont make me laugh. I mean, what a joke. Some third world country guy is head of the "United Nations" and anyone is supposed to take them seriously? Dont make me barf.

[Jlop985]

I am not advocating isolationism. Isolationism died with Pearl Harbor. America should not stick its head in the sand and ignore what is going on in the world. What America should do is treat other countries with respect, and not abuse its power. Pulling troops out of where they are not needed is not isolationism.

[EvilGovernmentAgents]

At 9/15/04 08:07 AM, Jlop985 wrote: America should not stick its head in the sand and ignore what is going on in the world.

That's the whole problem.

Trying to walk a fine line of fair neutrality in a world of highly defined "sides" and political parties is a very dammed hard thing to do.

If you want that kind of thing, we would need to successfully unite all nations into one single entity and eliminate all bounderies and borders. Which I don't see happening anytime soon.

What America should do is treat other countries with respect, and not abuse its power.

Abuse is debatable.

Respect is there. It's just selective. And treating every country in the world with respect, regardless of affliations or past actions just makes America look weak kneed, unable to put the heel down when they need to.

That kind of acting allowed for Pearl Harbor.

Pulling troops out of where they are not needed is not isolationism.

There are also things called "pledges" which when made in the past by other American presidents, are very hard to go back on.
I don't really see any place in the world where pulling all the troops out of it is really necessary or justified.

You've got a good direction in life. It's just that "idealiality" and reality don't really have much in common.

And when we really think about it, maybe it's for the best.

[Demosthenez]

Dude, can someone ban silence? All he posts is retarted crap that makes no sense. I have yet to see him make an intelligent comment.