Oh, I forgot. We're the bad guys who cause all of the problems in the world. Maybe, if as a country, we had just done one decent thing along the way the world would be a better place.
What a bunch of crap.
I have a Japanese friend who told me that "America is not as good as we think we are. And America is not a s bad as most of the world thinks we are. If it wasn't for America the world would be a much worse place."
well dude I didn't say all THAT! I'm not trying to argue that America is the source of the world's problems, only that the people that govern this country are no different from many of the world leaders that we love to condemn. we were once the greatest human experiment on earth. we were once the envy of the world. it's not society's fault that we're in the shape that we're in. it's the very things that the founders warned us about that are destroying this country, and the world.
all I was saying originally is that this notion that the U.S. is always the "good guys" is a dangerous one. I would imagine that many impressionable Germans were thinking something similar in the early 1930's.
what motivated me to say what I said is the fact that you claimed to be blown away by the fact that the Afghan president would take such a stance as he did. think about it. how many civilians have died, not only in Afghanistan, but all over the middle east, as a result of our meddling. (anything regarding their own domestic problems is not my concern.. if they want to destroy each other then fuck 'em, it's none of our business).
this is something I always like to bring up when debating with someone who supports the U.S.'s "promotion of democracy" across the globe... so, why don't we go to China to "promote democracy"? or Russia? dare you argue that those places treat their people in a humane way? of course not. those governments actively censor all the information that their people are exposed to. those governments actively FORCE their preferred lifestyle on the population. those governments are just as oppressive if not MORE than the one's that so many Americans have no problem sucking up OUR tax money to "liberate". so, the question stands. why don't we just go into THOSE countries and "promote" democracy? (then, the conversation usually leads to...): ok so, it's only the countries that we can easily defeat that need "liberating"? why is there no great humanitarian NATO occupations of China? the Chinese government dictates to it's citizens how many children they're allowed to have for fuck's sake! and which one's are deemed more "valuable" than others based on gender! where's the international outcry?
you say that the world is a better place because of the U.S.
I won't argue that. I'm sure there's a bit of truth in it. but sledge, do you subscribe to the CONUS? is a poor person's life better after recieving loads upon loads of government assistance? well sure it is. but does that make it right? fair to those who were forced at IRS gunpoint to pay for it? constitutional?
can you REALLY not understand how the leader of a country who's been occupied by the U.S. military for the last 10 years, and who's country is arguably WORSE than it was before, would be just a LITTLE BITTER??!?
sledge, I'm not trying to be combative or hostile here, but this topic kind of touches a nerve. I await your response, not to "argue", but because debate is healthy. I'm just reminding you not to take it the wrong way. all is well, buddy.