I prefer proactive versus reactive diplomacy anyday. I really do hope some good comes of this, but, as everyone suspects, I AM speculative. If all of these worldwide asshole leaders suddenly succumb to our will, then I am happy for a little while, at least. I don't see it lasting, however. I love the USA, I want us all to live in peace and happiness, but, as far as the foreign policy goes, I just don't see it.

Don't get me wrong....I admire good debate. I admire SabanFan and Shadeauxcaster and Martin and all of you who have given your opinions. I'd much rather hang out with y'all than to hang out with some person not strong enough to admit what their views actually are, right?....even if I am 'deemed' a """"liberal""" because I don't subscribe to what the "government" or "the media" tell me. I actually am pretty middle of the road, politically....maybe a little left of center, but still, pretty damned close to the middle.

I love the LSU Tigers. Anyone care to rebutt?


All this being said, I would actually love to hear what TE and Ramah have to say. TE is often too long-winded, yet still sarcastic and very funny, and Ramah is too short in his analogies...but still sarcastic and damned funny. I'd love to see them switch places.....I admire both of them, too.....just for being themselves.

claw says

????

history? you talk history and then compare the US to an empire? what have we colonized? is japan ours? is germany ours? how come west germany was free and east wasnt? BECAUSE WE DONT COLONIZE! its unthinkable that a non-monkey thinks we are imperialistic.

so, i ask you, if we are so imperialistic, then what (besides iraq, which we will certainly return to iraqis just like germany and japan) have we colonized?

so you dont forget to answer, i ask again, if we are imperialistic, then where is our kingdom? if you compare us to an "empire", then where are our colonies?

I said in a military sense, not in a political one. I was comparing the US's might militarily to the past's mighty military "machines". You cannot quote me as saying anywhere in any of my posts where I said "The US is an imperialistic power". Read my post completely before mistakenly countering a point that I DID NOT MAKE.

what do you think that means "military sense"?

so you mean we are powerful? boy, what a fascinatingly useless point.

the us is not imperialistic in a military sense. not even slightly. your words are completely meaningless.

your points are so poor as to not even have meaning.

It is obvious you don't like debate, but you'd rather harp on syntax and grammatical points. ...and hey, genius, make sure you take my points in context before you blast them...but it seems as if you don't care what it is I say, you are going to want to argue instead of counter or discuss. I like debate, I don't like this crap you are passing off as debate.

"Imperialistic in a military sense" means that you are the strongest military without peer. Are you that stupid, or do you need me to spell it out for you. I just did, so I guess you are. I never attacked you personally, Martin, but you are doing so, therefore I shall return the favor.

is michael jordan "imperialistic" in a basketball sense?

we both know it doesnt mean anything like what you are saying. what it really means is you want to call the US imperialistic, and i called you on it, and you are backtracking.

calling the US "Imperialistic in a military sense" is a lie, plain and simple. its not true in any sense. not at all.

you can just claim words have random meanings to suit your needs, but they dont. your claims that the US is a "bully" or imperialistic in any way are not backed by ANY evidence. you may as well babble nonsense.

the US does not overtake and then rule countries. the us does not colonize. the us does not bully. if your country was ruled by a murderous tyrant, the best possible thing you could hope for is that the US would invade.

Yes, Michael Jordan can be considered "imperialistic in a baskeball sense" if you put it into quotes showing that you do not mean the words to be taken in literal context. Nobody else had a problem understanding what I meant by "imperialistic in a military sense" except you. Maybe it was a bad analogy and maybe I didn't explain what I meant well enough, but I did put that saying inside quotes which means not to take the words inside the quotation marks for their literal meaning, and I did not feel the need to write a 3-page soliloquy explaining the finer points of what I meant by "imperialistic in a military sense". Never did I say the US subscribes to imperialism. All I meant was that at this point in history, the only comparison that can be drawn to the US MILITARILY is the past imperialistic powers. That is what I meant.

Also, if you are so sure that WE...the US....are not imperialistic in any way, then, my friend, explain to me: Puerto Rico, Guam, Wake Island, and the US Virgin Islands. No, none of these represent imperialism in the purest sense, but still.....

i think the fact that you even bring those places into a discussion of imperialism indicates you are totally clueless. puerto rico doesnt even pay taxes. giving them citizenship was a gift.

i am not kidding when i say you understand politics on the level of a 10 year old.

Whatever, dude. You think I understand politics as a 10 year old's level, well let me tell you this...maybe you are correct. That is YOUR opinion. I'm entitled to share MY opinions, no matter how unpopular they are, just like every other person on here.

Now, while my understanding of politics, and the level of said understanding IS up for scrutiny and debate, explain why you chose to attack me on a personal level. You didn't say anything about the US's territories that I brought up as a response to your claim that the US is not imperialistic in any way.... I said we were not imperialistic in a pure sense, but you had to put "in any way" there, so you lose that point.

A few of you in here who were actually on a debate team in high school or college can back me up when I say that when you resort to name-calling or personal attacks, you've lost the debate.

Happy holidays to everyone!

exactly, the fact that you think our presentation of us citizenship to puerto ricans, without requiring them to even pay taxes has anything to do with imperialism is the proof of your poor understanding. you are wildly ignorant.

besides, i dont mean to make personal attacks in the sense that i am calling you an ass, i am just stating the fact that you have an incredibly poor understanding. for all i know you are a perfectly fine gentleman. no need to be a baby.

obviously. i always welcome people with stupid opinions to offer them up for mocking.