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America First: Why we need to examine our insane Foreign policy
self | 12/29/2001 | Demidog

Posted on 12/29/2001 9:27:49 AM PST by Demidog

I am not an America hater by any stretch of the imagination. Nor are the plethora of folks calling for a re-examination of our foreign policies. But that's what we're called.

I wish I knew why.

I really don't want to be against any American. I don't like being on the butt end of insults. So if there were a way to somehow explain what it is that bothers me about our foreign policy without the resultant cries of "traitor! treason! Islam firster!" I would.

One of the main problems apears to be that any "agreement" with bin Laden and his band of murdering thugs is seen to be support. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is probably true that bin Laden knows that water is tantamount to life in the desert. If I agree with this, I am no more supporting bin Laden than you are by agreeing.

When we decry any actions taken by Israel, we are "anti-semites." When Israel admitted that they had set a booby trap near an area where children played and 5 Palestinian boys died when it went off, you couldn't get near the topic without being ridiculed.

This is puzzling to me. There is nothing wrong per se with Israel and certainly not Jews, but for certain they are not perfect. For some, Israel is perfection and any criticism is tantamount to racism. Those who disagree are shouted down with such fervor it makes one pause.

American policies aren't perfect either. It is arguable for instance that John Wayne's death from cancer could be attributed to nuclear tests performed back in the 40's. Movie locations happened to be in the area where tests occurred. Many film industry professionals who worked on movies filmed in Nevada died from cancer including that great American we called "the Duke."

Many soldiers who were in the vicinity of those tests also died from cancer.

Why is it an indictment on all of America to bring such mistakes to light? In general, the American population has no say so in the slightest regarding these sorts of activities nor do they have much say in our foreign policy.

But as usual, it is the American population that has to accept the consequences of Policy mistakes made by the government. To say that those who object to this "hate America" is completely absurd.

The truth is quite the opposite.

I love America. And those who decry our foreign policy blunders and the theft of our hard earned money that is necessary in order to carry out these blunders also love America. We're simply tired of having to pay the price for those mistakes, while those who carry them out never have to suffer the consequences.

One of the most bizarre claims by those who are calling us "America haters" and "Islam firsters" is that terorrists are simply angry that we are so democratic as a nation and love freedom. These terrorists "hate freedom" and thus hate America and Americans. They're "jealous," in other words, of our prosperity.

This is about as brilliant an analysis as claiming that Timothy McVeigh was upset that he was no longer an employee of the federal government and thus took out his jealosy and rage on that same federal government.

It is the analysis of the simpleton.

The fact is, we only know what the terrorists claim. Not that it matters much. The opinions of mass murderers are not that important. Clearly however, this is not what any of the terrorists are saying. What they are saying is that they believe themselves to be oppressed by our foreign intervention.

When students took Iranian embassy employees hostage, their reason given for such extraordinary measures was American meddling in Iranian internal affairs.

The Shah of Iran was our personally hand-picked leader for their country. The CIA had, in the time period between the time we basically annexed Iran during WWII, purposefully destroyed opposition to the Shah by using tactics they had learned in South America.

None of those tactics were even remotely related to "freedom" or the principles upon which this nation was founded. They were the actions of a government that believed the Iranian people were chattle and were not worthy of chosing their own leadership.

So what happened? A number of Americans paid the price for our meddling. When we allowed the Shah to enter America to receive medical treatment, the last straw was put upon the back of that proverbial camel.

And that is not to mention the American lives that were sacrificed in a botched rescue attempt. For some, these lives are expendable. They are the price a nation pays for being a "super power." I agree with that assesment. But I don't think we need to be a superpower. I don't think we need to meddle in the affairs of other nations in order to protect our borders.

As is proven time and time again, such meddling has a high price.

And therein lies the rub. Dying in order to defend this nation from an attacking force is national defense and is noble. Sending young men and women across the globe to secure oil fields and preserve the "American way of life" is a sick project. I for one, am not willing to lose a single American for the cynical goal of sub-dollar-a-gallon fuel for my SUV.

If that is the measure of value for an American life then you can call me an America hater all day long and I will be proud to wear that badge.

I criticize our foreign policies because they result in the deaths of American soldiers and citizens at home and abroad. In no way do I criticize Americans. In the aftermath of the Trade Center attacks, it wasn't the government that responded with such ferocity and bravery. It was the average American.

The Beaurocrats were busy playing CYA and letting us know that none of this was their fault. In the meantime, Americans came up with over 60 million dollars in cash and even more in valuable resources in spite of the fact that they are taxed to the extreme in order to pay for the very policies that helped to incubate the attacks of 9/11.

America proved it's greatness in the response to the attacks. The government proved it's complete disregard for human liberty by passing laws which violate the spirit and letter of the Supreme law of the land. Even while the fires were still burning.

America is a great nation and is full of great people. Unfortunately its leaders have no respect for its people or its laws. Pointing this out is not showing hate for anything but the lawbreakers who do so.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs
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To: Roscoe
You still didn't answer the question.
881 posted on 12/31/2001 12:27:42 AM PST by Pay now bill Clinton
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To: Roscoe
A Libertarian wrote the Declaration of Independence.
882 posted on 12/31/2001 6:38:17 AM PST by Demidog
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To: saminfl; Black Jade
Does hard information bother you this much really? Black Jade is doing us all a remendous service by providing not only the information but the links to it so you may look yourself.
883 posted on 12/31/2001 6:46:54 AM PST by Demidog
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To: FITZ
Exactly
884 posted on 12/31/2001 6:53:05 AM PST by Mikey
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To: Demidog
A Libertarian wrote the Declaration of Independence.

Too bad it was too much trouble for him to live by it.

885 posted on 12/31/2001 6:57:05 AM PST by Huck
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To: FITZ
Exactly.

Since the government can't tax the sun and / or the wind, they'll demand that you get permits out the wazoo or they'll completely refuse to let one install any of these units on their(?) land.

I remember a couple of years ago (when I was looking for some land in upstate New York) I was looking into having my own small electric turbine using a small stream, I found an obscure law in New York that states something like this (Its been 7 or 8 years and I'm going by memory here so forgive me if I don't get it exactly correct).

'It is illegal for any New Yorker or anyone residing in New York to produce their own electricity.'

So when someone wish's to make their own electricity (in a clean and safe way) the government(s) (i.e., local and FEDERAL) won't allow it.

886 posted on 12/31/2001 7:07:55 AM PST by Mikey
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Comment #887 Removed by Moderator

To: FITZ
I'm listening to M2K talk right now (12/31/01 11:40 am EST) and they're talking about a a company out west somewhere that has patented a way to burn cow chips as an alternative fuel (nothing new really) to methane. Talk about a renewable energy.

Of course you'll never here about it on the shame main stream media.

888 posted on 12/31/2001 7:40:44 AM PST by Mikey
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To: exodus
Wars shouldn't be fought with the goal of a stalemate between the parties.

I agree. It's almost as though our support requires them to put up with a certain level of terrorist acts against their citizens.

889 posted on 12/31/2001 8:16:39 AM PST by FITZ
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To: Mikey
has patented a way to burn cow chips as an alternative fuel

That would be a great way to tell the Arabs what they can do with their oil!! It'd probably work on human sewage too and solve another problem.

890 posted on 12/31/2001 8:18:18 AM PST by FITZ
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To: carenot
Are you sure you are not a libertarian?

I could almost be one. I'm in favor of limited government, I also think enough citizens would donate financial support to Israel and other countries on their own. I also think we prop up cultures that need to change by giving them enough money to go on ---like Mexico with it's two-class system and poor banking practices. If we didn't back them, they'd be forced to make the needed changes.

891 posted on 12/31/2001 8:20:53 AM PST by FITZ
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To: Demidog
A Libertarian wrote the Declaration of Independence.

A Libertarian traveled back in time and turned into a committee? Wowsers!

892 posted on 12/31/2001 8:44:48 AM PST by Roscoe
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To: Roscoe
Wow! You are showing your funamental ignorance. Did your nurse ever get you ice cream?

lib·er·tar·i·an (lbr-târ-n) n.
1. One who advocates maximizing individual rights and minimizing the role of the state.
2. One who believes in free will.

893 posted on 12/31/2001 9:46:12 AM PST by Demidog
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To: FITZ
If we didn't back them, they'd be forced to make the needed changes.

And even if we didn't back them, we as citizens would at least be able to take comfort in knowing we weren't helping to perpetuate tyranny.

894 posted on 12/31/2001 9:48:19 AM PST by Demidog
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To: Demidog
BUMP
895 posted on 12/31/2001 9:50:14 AM PST by Aurelius
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To: FITZ
Gee...what I MEANT to say was that even if Mexico didn't make changes to their system we could at least take comfort in knowing that AID wasn't being sent to help prop up a tyrannical system. That this system of tyranny was not perpetuated by our actions. We could also seek out and support those who were trying to legitimately change the system from within.
896 posted on 12/31/2001 9:53:03 AM PST by Demidog
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To: Demidog
I see the results of our aid first hand. The rich elite over there are the only ones who benefit from our aid, they don't lose out on a luxury vacation in Spain. The average person is still forced to leave the country because they give up believing things will ever improve. Our tax dollars help certain types in keeping their hold on power and never making changes to democracy or capitalism for the majority.
897 posted on 12/31/2001 9:56:43 AM PST by FITZ
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To: FITZ
I agree totally. And the theft of our money to help perpetuate class heirarchy in other nations also helps to create them here. It's disgusting.
898 posted on 12/31/2001 10:02:28 AM PST by Demidog
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To: Demidog
Does hard information bother you this much really? Black Jade is doing us all a remendous service by providing not only the information but the links to it so you may look yourself.

Golly, I should have known that intelligence information and the workings of the CIA aren't classified. How stupid of me. I guess the classified military information I have is also all over Google.

I should have known that Jimmy Carter was not the most incompetent president in history. Instead, I should have known that he was just a victum of the evil Bush and Ronald Reagan. I forgot, how long did it take Bush to fly to Paris in the SR-71?

899 posted on 12/31/2001 11:04:00 AM PST by saminfl
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To: saminfl
Have you ever heard of Bill Gertz?
900 posted on 12/31/2001 11:42:56 AM PST by Demidog
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