I've lost all faith in Merkins

[rainbow]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

[tattuchu]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

I really wish we'd learn to mind our own fucking business. I'm also confused as to why maintain military bases in so many other countries. This seems to me a bizarre practice. Do others do this or is it a uniquely American preoccupation?

[pErvinalia]

To apply a phrase Seth loves... America has made its bed and now has to lie in it. Your country has spent decades bullying the world militarily (and economically), and now with the rise of China and others, the US has to maintain top dog status or all its chickens will come home to roost. It's an idiotic approach to civilisation, but that's what you get when you treasure a social structure and ideology that promotes selfishness over community.

[Svartalf]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

I really wish we'd learn to mind our own fucking business. I'm also confused as to why maintain military bases in so many other countries. This seems to me a bizarre practice. Do others do this or is it a uniquely American preoccupation?

Simples... the military is a way to throw one's weight around, and to employ a lot of folk who would burden the social support network otherwise.

[Hermit]

I really wish we'd learn to mind our own fucking business. I'm also confused as to why maintain military bases in so many other countries. This seems to me a bizarre practice. Do others do this or is it a uniquely American preoccupation?

Others are not superpowers. When a nation has material interests all over the world it is not at all bizarre to defend them from other powers, especially when a competing one is also a superpower. Ever heard of the domino theory? Most wars from the end of WWII to the dissolution of the Soviet Union was about this, and now the USA is doing its best to stymie attempts by China and lesser powers to expand their influence. A lot of that is done through economic and other "aid" projects, but if they don't suffice to do the job diplomacy is conducted by other means.

[cronus]

I really wish we'd learn to mind our own fucking business. I'm also confused as to why maintain military bases in so many other countries. This seems to me a bizarre practice. Do others do this or is it a uniquely American preoccupation?

Others are not superpowers. When a nation has material interests all over the world it is not at all bizarre to defend them from other powers, especially when a competing one is also a superpower. Ever heard of the domino theory? Most wars from the end of WWII to the dissolution of the Soviet Union was about this, and now the USA is doing its best to stymie attempts by China and lesser powers to expand their influence. A lot of that is done through economic and other "aid" projects, but if they don't suffice to do the job diplomacy is conducted by other means.

That is the theory. Reality is a finite number of actions deliver a finite number of returns. Every empire returns to dust. A dog will have its day. Seems like it owns the world. It owns splinters that is all.

[mistermack]

Easy there... that's our next President you're talking about.

I wish that were a joke...

No worries. Bernie won't win a general election (much as I'd like him to). He's just in it to keep Hillary straight, move her a bit to the left and whip up some non-moderate Democrats before dropping out and giving her his endorsement. I'd say the odds of a President Sanders are 20-1.

Bit miserly, I thought. I would have said fifty to one. So I looked the odds up.
He's 33 to 1 for 2016, so I suppose if you include later chances, 20-1 would be spot-on.

Hilary Clinton is the clear favourite, at only evens. It looks like the gamblers have already made their minds up.

http://www.paddypower.com/bet/politics/ ... ids=791149

[Seth]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

You did. Repeatedly.

[Seth]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

I really wish we'd learn to mind our own fucking business. I'm also confused as to why maintain military bases in so many other countries. This seems to me a bizarre practice. Do others do this or is it a uniquely American preoccupation?

Er, it's because those other countries have invited us to be there. That being said, I agree with you. I'd shut all the bases down and bring our troops home and let the rest of the world fight its own wars this time around. I'd put our combat troops on the northern and southern borders and shoot the shit out of anyone trying to cross illegally. Then I'd let the rest of the world stew in its own juices for a couple of generations, until they are on their knees begging us to come save them from the evil dictators and despots of the world, and then I'd tell them that if we come save the day your cuntry will become a vassal state of the United States under our rule forevermore. I'd be happy to withdraw the Pax Americana and let those idiots discover what life is like without our help. Ungrateful pricks.

Imperialism works when the proletariat is starving to death and freezing in the dark and will STFU and obey their betters who are trying to help them.

[Seth]

To apply a phrase Seth loves... America has made its bed and now has to lie in it. Your country has spent decades bullying the world militarily (and economically), and now with the rise of China and others, the US has to maintain top dog status or all its chickens will come home to roost. It's an idiotic approach to civilisation, but that's what you get when you treasure a social structure and ideology that promotes selfishness over community.

See how you like life under Chinese imperialistic domination and then get back to me...if you don't get a bullet in the back of the neck on the first day, as I suspect you will.

We pull your sorry asses out of the fire twice in one century and this is the thanks we get? Go fuck yourselves, all y'all.

[rainbow]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

You did. Repeatedly.

Nope. I never did.

[Hermit]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

You did. Repeatedly.

Much more frequently the USA warred in foreign lands because it perceived it to be in its own interests. Domino theory, oil reserves and all that. Of course it always dressed its participation in wars up as liberating the oppressed peoples. Yea. Right. Supplying the Mujahedeen with a billion dollars worth of weapons while they were fighting the commies was a brilliant idea - until the Mujahedeen morphed into becoming the Taliban. Lot of help that was. The oppressed people of Iraq received even more help than the now liberated Afghanis. They are so much better off today than they were under that evil dictator, Saddam Hussein. But wait. Wasn't Rumsfeld all palsy walsy with him when it was in the USA's interest? He was a dictator then already, wasn't he? And Rumsfeld knew what he was doing to the Kurds when the two shook hands on arms deals. Poor USA. So generous with its help and yet so misunderstood. Makes my heart bleed. It really does.

[laklak]

Close all foreign bases and pull the troops back like Seth said. Take Cuba and the rest of the Caribbean, put two carrier groups across the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico, which has been renamed the Gulf of Florida. It's our lake now, manifest air power and all that. Establish another tier of citizenship, call it 'Merikan Lite, and grant it to Central Americans. Oh, take those bits, too. Establish 1000 mile territorial waters on both coasts, Hawaii, the Marshalls (they're a state now), Guam, and the Philippines. Fuck, all our nurses are Flips now, might as well make them legal, plus we want Subic back.

That's what I'd do if I was Boss.

[Seth]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

You did. Repeatedly.

Nope. I never did.

Then you didn't get any. Those who did, got what they asked for, repeatedly. So quitcherbitchen.

[Seth]

We defend half the fucking planet from the other half and have since WWII, so pay up, deadbeats.

When we want your help, we'll ask for it.

You did. Repeatedly.

Much more frequently the USA warred in foreign lands because it perceived it to be in its own interests. Domino theory, oil reserves and all that. Of course it always dressed its participation in wars up as liberating the oppressed peoples. Yea. Right. Supplying the Mujahedeen with a billion dollars worth of weapons while they were fighting the commies was a brilliant idea - until the Mujahedeen morphed into becoming the Taliban. Lot of help that was.

And the situation would have been improved by Soviet domination and control of Afghanistan and surrounding areas how, exactly?

The oppressed people of Iraq received even more help than the now liberated Afghanis. They are so much better off today than they were under that evil dictator, Saddam Hussein. But wait. Wasn't Rumsfeld all palsy walsy with him when it was in the USA's interest? He was a dictator then already, wasn't he? And Rumsfeld knew what he was doing to the Kurds when the two shook hands on arms deals. Poor USA. So generous with its help and yet so misunderstood. Makes my heart bleed. It really does.

Well, that's international geopolitics for ya. It's been that way for several millennia. People you help out one day turn on you the next. Like France. And Germany. Both of them sold the raw materials for Saddam's WMD programs and are currently selling nuclear technology to Iran.

As for our own interests, why on earth would we not look to them in the game of thrones that is international geopolitics? Do you really expect us NOT to look to our own interests? Do you expect ANY sovereign nation to disregard what's in it's citizen's best interests and instead favor the interests of other nations? Do you realize how stupid that would be?