Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Isolation was bought up a while back and eluded to as why N Korea is so backwards and why we have to be engaged, along with the fact that there are more countries out there like them that would soon pose a threat... My comments was meant to convey the fact that we can be less engaged militarily in the worlds affairs, we don't have to be the world's cop to protect our interest, this is the same mentality that has given us a military budget that is bigger than the next 5 largest military budgets combined.... We waste a lot of money in propping up arms manufacturers under the guise of our mission of maintaining peace in the world, while we protect Europe they use their savings from reduced military budgets for social programs, in Asia those savings manifest themselves in infrastructure, in America our commitment to world peace manifests itself in crumbling bridges and outdated electrical grids....

F16 Club

Blurryeyed; I tell you before that men is the only animal which commit the same mistake twice.
Look what they make with the american dolars.
China's Present/Future Military Technology .
http://youtu.be/KXRa5IGmVto
China Future Aircraft Carrier Concepts .
http://youtu.be/WmTyngJN9dM
Beside they are not afraid to loss 40 million of chineses in any war they has more than they can feed.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

Man is the only animal to commit the same mistake twice? Whoever told you that certainly knows nothing about animals.

F16 Club

Pepper:
To my knowledge only the rat and deer have similar behaviors
do you know any other?
and don't be afraid to hit first in war, because I think the government is waiting they hurt us first to have justification to confiscate all citizen weapons whitout pass laws like gun control.
:mrgreen:

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

F16, theres not a chance that UN reached out and touched you is there? It might be radiation sickness or that bird virus. You need to calm down your hearing and seeing things. Might be the DT's.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

Fish get caught multiple times making the mistake of taking the hook again and again. I've caught the same coon and opossum making the same mistake of walking into a live trap over and over again. This doesn't even begin to address dogs that need disciplined over and over again for making the same mistakes. This list is just never ending and don't even get me started on horses.

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

I have to disagree with you slightly. We spend more than the top 13 countries, not the top 5. And of those 13, 12 of them are allies. We are the most militaristic country on the face of the earth, hands down. If we cut our defense budget in half and spent it all on infrastructure, we'd still be stronger than the 5 largest militaries in the world combined.

I mentioned it in another post, but if you want to see where we've come to as a nation, I strongly urge you to read the following books:

Drift, by Rachel Maddow
500 Days, by Kurt Eichenwald
The Untold History of the United States, by Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick

These books give an amazing account how, for generations, administrations both Democatic and Republican have lied us into wars and assassinations, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals. They are chilling tales that lay bare the fact that we are not the shining city on the hill, as Ronald Reagan used to call us. Reading these can easily make one ashamed to be an American, I'm sad to say.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

F16, China purchased a hull from Russia that was originally to be a cruise ship. When construction reached the main deck construction was stopped, not enough funds to complete.

It was taken out of moth balls and for the past 6 years China has been trying to build an aircraft carrier. The only problem China ran into was that they do not have a plane capable of taking off and landing onboard also they do not have any pilots qualified for this project.

Following from a recent publication.
A fairly small carrier fitted with a “ski jump” ramp rather than a catapult, the Liaoning is no match for America’s Nimitz-class supercarriers, which are almost double the displacement, let alone the new Ford-class ships, the first of which is expected to enter service in 2015. Nor does China yet have any fast jets to fly from the Liaoning. The Shenyang J-15, a not entirely convincing copy of Russia’s Sukhoi S-33, has flown, but is unlikely to enter service until 2016.

LIAONING

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

So am I to assume that you think that being the World's cop is good for our country and taxpayers? You don't think that our assumption of being right and forcing other countries to conform to our foreign policy goals don't create enemies abroad? Do you think that this is the only way that we can successfully conduct foreign policy?

As far as Japan, Switzerland, and other countries go they have taken a position of non engagement in wars or other military adventures, their military exists for solely for the defense of their homeland.... and yes they have been economically quite successful while not getting mired in conflict all over the world.

F16 Club

I am not ashamed to be an American, of course I am a native american " indian" I understand your frustration one thing is to be ashamed of your government and another to be american. I understand this because I have some cuban friend the also said ashamed to be a cuban, but it is not real neither in them nor on you. I had not read those book I will read and then discuse with you about it.
My friend our problem is much tv and radio show, much desinformation like cuban. Education but not the conventional education .
I also agree with you on budget sujects much waste, and I don't not if you travel europe , but they spent on infrastructure more than we , but who had and has the culprity we the people.
Never under estimate the enemy the microbes are tiny creature and put you out of control in hours.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Somebody made the same mistake at least twice of letting the same coon and possum loose too close to home!!! :-D :-D :-D

F16 Club

UP-2-IT; of course this Gay will not touch me, first he will receive several shoots in his head.
Take care youself, I know how to takecare of myselve.
Perhaps who has the virus is you.
Good luck

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I have read the history, libertarian writers have discussed our wars for years as they do not believe military adventurism. I also have a couple of very well put together books on WWII, one of them written by the chief congressional investigator into the events that took place leading up to Pearl Harbor... So.. well... You know that I am not about to read Maddow, having said that I have seen her from time to time make a strong and well informed argument.... she is one who seems to do research... I just don't usually agree with her conclusions or her single sided narrative and subject matter.

F16 Club

Blurryeyed
you don't need to assume that; you need to think that being the World's cop is good for our country and taxpayers?
But you and the 99% of american grown up under this ideology.
Now is too late to go back it shall be done as Ron Paul said, first return to our Constitution and you will see the changes inmidiately.
Have you selected your next candidate for Congress? :evil:

Freeride Loc: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

No body like America. til we are the one who saves them...The only enemy we have to fear are our politicians news media and knee jerk citizens. Iraq is still a dangerous place, Afghanistan I'm sure once we pull out will become a Taliban/Alqueda(sic) strong hold once again. Iran constantly thumbs its nose at us and Obama is snubbing Israel (one of the few countries with guts and willingness to protect their citizens). I believe a few countries would like to see N Korea do something stupid and get America in a war with them. Afghanistan re-ignite, Iraqs' insurgents start thumping their chest and Iran does what it threatens to and that is wipe Israel off the face of the earth. With our military being weakened by our own Govt. And Politicians and feel gooders wanting to disarm the American people , our borders porous. We would be ripe for terrorist attacks and gorilla bands infiltrating our homeland. We have never been invaded because sane enemies knew we had a standing army of civilians that would defend their country, neighborhood and families. that will be hard to if we have no means to do so