Predictions anyone????

[Blue]

What would really do America and the American Tax Payer a great service (sure it will screw the rest of you, but hey you ain't American, so who really cares :tongue::biggrin Is to pull out our military from all of those peaceful ally nations.

Seriously why are we having to be the police of the world? Can't the UK protect her own interests? Can't Taiwan come up with a military? Sheesh they sell enough crap to us that they surely have made a few trillion in profit. Do we really need military bases in Germany? That wall fell 20+ years ago, Germany United - surely we don't have to maintain a base there in case Germany hiccups again.

The USA is over extended, and continues to have this huge military spending problem. We send troops to stay in bases in our ally's countries - IT seems highly irregular to me. Why not bring those troops back and put them to some real work like rebuilding infrastructure instead of having them crawl through mud and climb single walls (why they can't walk around I don't understand)?

The president who sees reasons and figures out that our military is too big and too costly to 'protect' other nations who have economies, are first world and have people and only need to start spending their own money on their own defense will get my vote.

And will save the USA a lot of heart ache and trouble.

Yes the rest of the world would be screwed - because suddenly they would have to fight their own battles and keep their own enemies at bay - the way it should be.

Amen! and, get US out of the UN while you're at it.

I don't think we should go as far as say the John Birch Society on some things, and, I'm not Christian so, I don't think God has anything to do with it or, ever did but, I do think we need to pull back and worry about US first. I know it won't happen but as individuals, you fix yourself before you can even begin to try to fix anyone else, as a nation, we need to do the same thing- fix US first.

[LateBloomer]

What would really do America and the American Tax Payer a great service (sure it will screw the rest of you, but hey you ain't American, so who really cares :tongue::biggrin Is to pull out our military from all of those peaceful ally nations.

Seriously why are we having to be the police of the world? Can't the UK protect her own interests? Can't Taiwan come up with a military? Sheesh they sell enough crap to us that they surely have made a few trillion in profit. Do we really need military bases in Germany? That wall fell 20+ years ago, Germany United - surely we don't have to maintain a base there in case Germany hiccups again.

The USA is over extended, and continues to have this huge military spending problem. We send troops to stay in bases in our ally's countries - IT seems highly irregular to me. Why not bring those troops back and put them to some real work like rebuilding infrastructure instead of having them crawl through mud and climb single walls (why they can't walk around I don't understand)?

The president who sees reasons and figures out that our military is too big and too costly to 'protect' other nations who have economies, are first world and have people and only need to start spending their own money on their own defense will get my vote.

And will save the USA a lot of heart ache and trouble.

Yes the rest of the world would be screwed - because suddenly they would have to fight their own battles and keep their own enemies at bay - the way it should be.

Ah crap. I have to disagree with BA here.

Actually I AGREE with pulling back our military to a virtual "skeleton", but I don't think their purpose in this modern age is to be the (ostensible) World Cop!

I actually think that's a fallacy!

Today's military is used to PROJECT and ENFORCE *CORPORATE* POWER.

There are a few individuals (Dick Cheney, I'm looking at YOU) who make a lot of money from the Military Industrial Complex. And it's not JUST the MIC, but it's also the all private, no-bid contracts that are awarded to the profiteers.

The government simply SELLS us the bullshit (and the media flogs it) about DEFENDING certain interests, but the truth is war is an industry and there are evil fuckers who plan for it.

Almost 30 years ago Jackson Browne wrote this song. It turns out to be perfectly relevant even today, and sadly, probably even in the future.

Still, we NEVER LEARN.

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Latebloomer,

I'm aware that corporate interests play a huge role in why our military has assorted bases seeded around the world.

I used the 'police man of the world' phrase because that is how most people view us and that is the popular myth thrown out there.

I agree with you that its a bit more complex as to the why they are there. It still doesn't justify being there.

Money=power=greed. It is an ancient formula, one I feel has no place in the 21st century.

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Not a Christian but you say Amen?!?!?! :o :biggrin: :biggrin:

Worry about the US first, sounds a bit selfish when put that way. Hmm. :tongue:

I don't know about the UN. In concept it is a good thing, in practice it has turned out to be a bit rancid....

Too much political crap goes on, and as Latebloomer has pointed out that politics is largely due to corporate interests and the small fact that nations tend to assign governmental powers to corporate people.

President Cheney and Vice President Bush are clear examples of corporate greed in politics (We all know that that was the real set-up) Oil and energy concerns first, American people somewhere close to tenth place on their list.

Amen! and, get US out of the UN while you're at it.

I don't think we should go as far as say the John Birch Society on some things, and, I'm not Christian so, I don't think God has anything to do with it or, ever did but, I do think we need to pull back and worry about US first. I know it won't happen but as individuals, you fix yourself before you can even begin to try to fix anyone else, as a nation, we need to do the same thing- fix US first.

[Blue]

Well, amen is simply a word that express strong agreement. Okay so Christians have adopted it to be the close of their prayers, doesn't mean it HAS to have any religious connotation.

Yes, in theory the UN is good but, the reality is not so good.

And I also agree that money talks, and it's the big corporations that have the big money.

It is selfish, but so is putting your partner, family friends, whoever on the back burner while you work on difficult personal issues, but sometimes we have to do it so that we can be better for ourselves and them in the long run. That's what the USA needs to do, fix what needs fixed at home then, go back out and help the world, not keep trying to do both at once and failing at both.