The Bullies Wake Up as America Goes to Sleep

American Thinker ^ | 7/31/2014 | Brian C Joondeph

[markomalley]

Remember what it was like in high school, or middle school, with roving school bullies. They had a knack for identifying the weakest kids and picking on them, sometimes mercilessly, supplanting learning for survival for the kids getting bullied. Fortunately in most schools, teachers and principals were attentive to bullying, catching it early and reining in the bully before they caused much harm. Many schools had little tolerance for bullies, offering them the simple choice of stopping or leaving the school.

Bullies exist on a world stage as well. Since World War II, America has played the role of school principal, containing bullies across the globe. We have over 1000 military bases or installations worldwide, with a U.S. military presence in 156 countries. We have actual military bases in 63 countries and over a quarter of a million military personnel deployed around the world. Does such a presence serve our imperialist nature? Are we annexing these countries as U.S. territory? Hardly. The U.S. last added a state over 50 years ago when Hawaii joined the Union in 1959. Instead, our military presence keeps the world’s bullies from punching other countries in the nose.

Playing the role of world cop, the U.S. influence on world stability allowed countries such as India, South Korea, and Poland to join the first world by giving them the freedom to flex their economic and demographic muscles. If these countries were always looking over their shoulder for the next bully, their economic output would be directed toward their defense rather than their growth. It is the umbrella of the American military protecting these countries that enabled them to join the global economy.

[48th SPS]

Remember what it was like in high school, or middle school, with roving school bullies.

WOW, when and where did you go to school?
There were a couple of bullies here and there in my school years, but roving packs?
Of course back in the day we were allowed to take care of the bullies, as in they ended up with a good ass kicking at some point and that ended the bullying career. But nowadays that is so non pc and would never happen so I guess we see why there are no roving packs of bullies..........

[rarestia]

This guy is either the most milquetoast of men or he’s watching too much Glee on Fox. Bullies were “dealt with” in my high school, esp. when they decide to pick on a member of a sports team.

Modern-day bullying happens online.

[super7man]

When I was in high school, I was not the kind of kid a bully would pick out to try his stuff. However; one did decide that he was going to try. Out of nowhere, he came up to me and punched me in the arm as hard as he could (and it hurt) and said, “What’s with you?”. I put him in a head lock, flipped him over my back and into a muddy ditch. As he lay there in the mud flat on his back he said, “Why’d you do that?”. I said “You know why.” and walked away.

No problem after that.