Is the USA a bully?

by Robdar 83 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Robdar

  Let's not forget that the US once viewed him as an ally and did nothing to prevent the Iran Iraq war but instead gave support to saddam.

  Heathen,

  You make a good point. Who knows which of our allies today we will consider "enemies" tomorrow? If I was a citizen of any country other than the UK, Canada or Australia, I don't know if I would trust the USA.

  Iwasyoungonce:

  I will be closing my account and will never speak about "Them" again.

  That was quite a taunting that you gave us. I must say, I have never seen you respond quite like this. Please do not leave the forum. I have always enjoyed reading your point of view.

  I enjoyed reading your comments this time too.

  foreign policy towards paceful countries is often less than fair and often abusive and acceptance of being a political "bulley" is the first step to change.

  Gerard,

  Thank you for bringing up our foreign policy. It is time to find a better way.

  Thanks for your post.

  American heavy institutions like the IMF and the World Bank end up preventing countries that were previously self-sufficient in food production form being able to subsidise their farmers. They are forced to 'open their markets' which are then overwhelmed by the heavily subsidised American food (eg. Rice). A double standard.

  Simon,

  I believe that this double standard has much to do with the world's ill wishes towards the USA. Thanks for providing the links for viewing and for posting your opinion.

  Robyn
• 

  mike047

  BACK; in your response, you noted that "Bush" would reap financial benefits from their oil and arms connection. I am aware that the Bush family has had oil connections for many years and could concievable benefit form oil. I am unaware of any arms connections. Could you provide me with some supporting information, please.

  mike
• 

  ISP

  I think we all must agree that having the US as THE super power is far preferable than having an islamic/communist/fascist state as one. Agreed? The US does act with a degree of restraint and a lot of what it does makes some sort of sense. I would only want it to be truthful and open as to what it does etc. Earlier in the year it blitzed a wedding party killing hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan...it circulated the story that the folks there were firing in the air (in celebration) and therefore provoked the attack as the shots were near their aircraft. The attack had nothing to do with that. It lasted over 2 hrs and involved many aircraft. It should just say it cocked up.

  ISP
• 

  seawolf

  Roski,

  One or two resposes have mentioned the South Koreans. At present there is quite strong anti-American feeling there. Taxi drivers refusing to pick up foreigners, resteraunts and shops with signs saying 'no Americans". Some acts of persoanl violence, (rape, knife attack, etc). The new president is said to be more anti-American than the former. Much of the ill feeling is long standing and a result of the behaviour of US military personel. This is not the official line, just the feeling on the street.

  Yes. A LOT of this stems from a 50 ton US armored vehicle running over and killing two 14 year-old schoolgirls in South Korea in June 2002. The two men were tried in a US military court and acquitted in November 2002. As you might have guessed, this didn't set too well with the people of South Korea.

  Shim Mi-sun and Shin Hyo-son were walking to a friend's birthday party when they were crushed to death by a US armoured vehicle which was taking part in a training exercise in Kyonggi province, on the outskirts of Seoul.

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2494145.stm

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2178156.stm

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2487737.stm

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2497947.stm

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2517739.stm

  this issue came out to be a very large part of the latest elections there:

  Hahm Sung-deuk, director of the Korea Presidential Studies Institute, said the issue had become a key factor in the election.

  "This issue became critical issue in presidential campaigning. People thought the current presidential candidate of the Grand National Party, Lee Hoi-chang, is too close to the United States," he said.

  "In contrast, the presidential candidate, Roh Moo-hyun, of the New Millennium Party, is a little bit independent from the United States. So this issue may give an edge to the presidential candidate, Roh Moo-hyun," Mr Hahm said.

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2562297.stm

  There have been several very large demonstrations there in December:

  About 50,000 South Koreans have rallied in the capital Seoul in protest over the deaths of two teenage girls killed by US servicemen in a road accident.

  Several thousand riot police prevented the protesters from marching on the US embassy.

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2575381.stm

  regarding the protest above, the kfor article below says 300,000 people. I must say from the footage on tv it sure looked a lot more than 50,000.....

  http://www.kfor.com/Global/story.asp?S=1049575

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2618119.stm
• 

  Robdar

  SeaWolf,

  I want to thank you for taking the time to post all the links for this post. Lots of interesting reading there and I appreciate your efforts.

  The fact is we've done some pretty shitty things to other people and it was always in our own interest. This does not make me proud to be an American. However, I'm not so blinded by liberalism to not realize that sometimes shitty things are very neccessary.

  Gsx1138,

  Unfortunately that is true. If we are civilized, I would hate to meet barbarians.

  Thank you for posting.

  Don't get me wrong, I love having the freedom this country offers, but I think think our government needs to take a serious look at itself in the mirror

  Lilacs,

  I couldn't agree more. Thank you for your comments.

  Back2dafront, I loved your post. I appreciate all the time that you put into it.

  One or two resposes have mentioned the South Koreans. At present there is quite strong anti-American feeling there. Taxi drivers refusing to pick up foreigners, resteraunts and shops with signs saying 'no Americans".

  Roski,

  Thank you for sharing the above information. It was an eye opener to me to see how the S Koreans really view the US.

  the USA aren't the bullies of the world, they ARE the terrorists of the world

  TheWiz,

  It does appear to be getting that way, doesn't it?

  Thank you for your post.

  Mike047, Thank you for participating in this discussion.

  Robyn
• 

  Yerusalyim

  The US WILL deal with North Korea, trust me on this, but we'll take care of Saddam first. North Korea makes the best case for tackling Iraq NOW rather than waiting until they have Nukes. I forsee some well targeted missiles going North Korea's way after we've dealt with Saddam. Yes, it's a sad but true fact, the US can not handle two major wars at once. THANKS FOR ALL THE MILITARY CUTS KIDS!
• 

  BeautifulGarbage

  .

  I am certainly not a saddam supporter but he is a very popular leader in Iraq .

  That is for sure!

  Especially when you are elected "unopposed" and are willing to assassinate anyone that speaks out against you, or your policies. Even family members.

  US a bully? Sometimes, yes, and sometimes, no.

  Andee

  Edited by - BeautifulGarbage on 2 January 2003 11:41:11
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  MrMoe

  My question is where the hell did this "Axis of Evil" phrase come from. Can you hear it? Can you? That wicked superhero announcer voice like a bad Austin Powers movie?

  "The Axis of Eeeeeeviiiiiiil" Bua ha ha ha ha

  Like they are all infested with deeemins. Gimmie a break.

  On a serious note -- it is 2 sided:

  1. You cannot control what other countries do, it is thier own bloody business what they want or have in terms of defense.

  2. The other countries such as Iraq etc are pretty stinkin' low, and would blow up everybody if they could get away with it. SOMEBODY has to intervene and play cop or it would get out of control.

  What it boils down to is the USA wants to play top watch dog. So let them/us, they/we are quite capable of doing so. Not like anybody can stop it anyhow, and do you really WANT USA to be stopped in terms of playing Big Bad Cop? I don't, makes the world a wee bit safer to have the big kid on the school yard looking out for everybody, even if they are doing it to get 25% of your lunch money.

  Amanda

  *Of the damn proud to be an American Class even though she can't stand the politics and freaks who run the place*

  Edited by - MrMoe on 2 January 2003 12:33:27
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  Englishman

  I'm more than content for the US to stay exactly where they are now, as the alternatives don't even bear thinking about.

  I mean..Russia?.....China?.....a Moslem country? Who'd want any of them to be the superior nation?

  Hey, lots of Brits swear that the best place and the cheapest place to go on holiday is Turkey. I won't even vacation there all the time a Moslem government is in control.

  Englishman.
• 

  aojumper

  Thank you no one. I have been wanting to post for a while, I guess I am more pro American, since i am glad that our world is not like the Watchtower, and so I left that "world within a world" and I am so much happier to be able to speak my mind.

  Pettygrudger,

  I appreciate your comments, please understand too, that I wasn't shooting at you it was a shot to all of us who live the American way and then sometimes have the nerve to complian about it. Like Island Woman said, as long as we spend more time researching the car or VCR we are going to buy and just voting half-hazardly, then this world isn't going to change too much. Let me also say, that I have a lot of respect for you that your priorities lie with your children and not just up and becoming a political activist at there expense, I believe the most important thing we can do in this world is love and educate and nurture our children, we can't change the world alone, and what better way than to teach our children that they can have an opinion and make a difference.

  back2dafront,

  I admire your individualism, Have you ever seen "Wag the Dog"? It is amazing to see how people band together for one great cause and how gullible we can all be. I must admit, that though I am very pro American, because this country does allow me many more freedoms that most, notice most other countries, but those other countries have trade offs too, in most of Scandinavia for example, you give up half of your paycheck, every month, but you do get a lot in return. In Japan, the social structure is very different, I have Family living there as expats, they love it, it is a wonderful change for them, but it does have it's disadvantages too, especially culturally and financially.

  And even though I am pro American, I will admit, for a long time I was skeptical about going to war with Iraq, but after reading some things, after hearing things from people that escaped that regime, I feel that those people deserve a fighting chance. Every one should have the right to grow up and make up there own mind, and make there own descisions, and that is even more precious for me now that i have gotten out of the handhold of the Borg.

  K