We are not using our army like mercenaries. WTF are you talking about? We're not involving ourselves in the internal affairs of these countries. We are involving ourselves in protecting our best national interests, which are global. We cannot be isolationist and be a Superpower, too.
What national interests require a military presence in so many nations? Procuring fuel? Spreading democracy? Stifling dictatorships? Gold & diamonds? Global positioning like a game of Risk? Domestic welfare is far more desireable to foreign welfare. We have a house out of order, do we need to expend so much energy trying to clean up other people's messes?
Superpower politics, for one thing. The Big Stick gives us huge advantages in trade, intelligence, diplomacy, etc. You need to get your head out of North American sand and realize that the Earth is rapidly becoming a global economy with global communications and we are in charge, which is far better than nobody being in charge. We need overseas facilities to do this. Communications stations, airfields, satellite ground stations, fuel and logistical depots, lots of port facilities to make our global reach possible. Lots of training facilities where we can oversee and influence the militaries of small countries into not be our enemies. How can you fail to see the value of this? We need to do both, clearly. Other peoples messes get out of hand and get us involved anyway. It happens all the time.
Apparently the jack chit you know about has our foreign policy looking good? Oh that's right you just want to borrow more from China to do those things above. Debt is good and never takes down a Superpower.
You damn skippy it is looking good! We have regained almost all of the international support we lost during the Bush administration. We are going to be out of Iraq in 2 months. We are drwing down in Afghanistan, even as we step up the assault on Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Yemen. Bin Ladin is dead, Quadaffi is deposed, Al Qaeda is splintered, Syria is on the ropes, and North Korea is cornered. Iran is is clearly going to have to chickenchit out of their latest gamble. NATO was told to step up and handle the Libyan air campaign and they did what they were told. He stepped up drone strikes against Afghan and Pakistani targets and is now using them in Yemen and Somalia. He has played the Arab Spring revolts very well, helping our friends and hurting our enemies. Remember when Rudy Giuliani warned that electing Obama would mean that the U.S. played defense, not offense, against the terrorists? Well, he was wrong. I have never said that, you are trying to argue with yourself. :lol:
Waste of time, money, energy, lives, etc. etc. And our gain was what again? Are you declaring victory?
Look, we're spending less money, taking fewer casualties, expending less energy, have more allies with fewer enemies, Obama has a Noble prize and BIN LADIN IS FUGGING DEAD. Like I say, you don't know much about foreign policy and you are unwilling to learn. I ain't wasting any more time.
i think we should all call it the "noble prize". red, unlike most clods, rex knows that 9/11 was a rational terrorist response to our foreign policy. its called "blowback". in fact killing bin laden will only create more bin ladens. there would be no terrorism at all if we would just give up and let the terrorists kill us. resistance to terroism only causes more! walkwaki or whatever once had a meeting at the pentagon. make you go hmmm, doesnt it. (BECAUSE 9/11 A FARCE LOLZOIDS HAHA I SEE BEHIND THE CURTAIN BECAUSE I HAVE SEVERE EMOTIONAL PROBLEMZ LOLOL RON PAUL BLOWBLACK FIAT CURRENCY FED HAHAHALOL
Would you be opposed to an eventual one world government with the US in charge eventually? Like the US, power is best decentralized in the world. Stacking the deck isn't necessary; we're better off playing the game well and allowing others to sit in. China is poised to overtake us if we don't return to what made us great - we can't beat China as a machine; the power of the philosophy of freedom and independence is our best chance. If we buy into the one world philosophy China will overtake us. We will lose the control you take for granted. Centralized power leads to abuse and China isn't above abuse. You argue that we need the military to set up outposts to allow trade to happen? We need the military to exert its might so countries will be our friends and won't be our enemies. I guess if we don't grease palms and lean heavy on the world we won't be able to make it in the global economy? Not much confidence in our products and services? If we can't play fair then we're doing something wrong. Not that I am against working to keep the other guys honest, but if the only way we can survive is by abusing our power, no wonder our power is dwindling.
