Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

What has happened to U.S.?
Me | 10/2/2002 | Me

Posted on 10/02/2002 7:15:37 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye

What has happened to our image as a beacon of freedom, opportunity and the right way to live?

Much of the world fears or hates us. We have a proclaimed policy of attacking any country whose policies or regimes don't follow our dictates.

Why have we become the biggest bully in the world?


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; Philosophy; Political Humor/Cartoons; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: apologist; areyouosama; candyass; chicken; city; constitution; coward; crybaby; girlyman; onahill; pansie; shining; states; united; whereisthelove; whineandcheese; whiningtorchie; whyihateamerica; wildeyedwhine; yellow
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 401-420421-440441-460 ... 661-670 next last
To: UnBlinkingEye
I guess it was your talk about inferiors that made me arrive at that conclusion, perhaps I was wrong.

SOCIAL inferiors, not racial. Yes, you were wrong. But I'm sure you're used to THAT.

Screw imperialism.

Oh, well, that pithy retort certainly deflates any contrary contention. Go home folks. With two words, America's foreign policy has been cast.

I'm pretty sure you can be a snob and a coward and still have 'holier than thou' opinions, if you choose to do so.

I don't think cowardice enters into MY argument so much as it enters into YOURS. Certainly the moral cowardice of someone who lacks the courage of his convictions. Either you believe in America or you don't. I believe that our way of life is the best on earth. I don't believe that others need to follow it if they don't choose, but I also don't think there's a nation on earth that has any room to criticize us. Nor do I think we have any duty to secure their blessing for protecting our own interests, or for expanding our influence, or for defending the weak and voiceless from predation. I'm not sure where my cowardice is supposed to enter in. But I'm fairly sure we've all seen yours.

421 posted on 10/04/2002 4:14:53 PM PDT by IronJack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 417 | View Replies]

To: Vets_Husband_and_Wife
I think that our troops should always be supported and honored, but I don't think we should blindly follow the politicians who send them to war.
422 posted on 10/04/2002 4:31:01 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 420 | View Replies]

To: IronJack
I don't think cowardice enters into MY argument so much as it enters into YOURS. Certainly the moral cowardice of someone who lacks the courage of his convictions.

Tell me why my argument exhibits cowardice or a lack of courage in my convictions.

... I'm not sure where my cowardice is supposed to enter in. But I'm fairly sure we've all seen yours.

I don't think I said you are a coward and you have yet to show me why my position represents cowardice.

423 posted on 10/04/2002 4:38:11 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 421 | View Replies]

To: sakic
Interesting article that most here would prefer to ignore.
424 posted on 10/04/2002 5:02:30 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 412 | View Replies]

To: UnBlinkingEye
Tell me why my argument exhibits cowardice or a lack of courage in my convictions.

Your criticism of America seems founded on the notion that we are a "bully." Using the standard definition of the word, that means that we oppress smaller, weaker nations for no particular reason except to inflate our own precarious sense of worth. I suggest that a belief in one's country compels one to objectively evaluate the application of that epithet.

With the possible exception of Bosnia, a product of Bill Clinton's sleight-of-hand, the United States has no record of "bullying" anyone. The major wars we've fought -- the Revolution, the Civil War, the World Wars -- were all in response to egregious offenses against our moral code. The so-called "lesser" wars were defenses against our ideological enemies, whose expansionist goals were as obvious as they were oppressive.

Therefore, to collaborate with America's Fifth Column critics who label any attempt at self-preservation "imperialist" or "hegemonic" defies the facts in favor of acceptance by those critics. That strikes me as cowardice, the cowardice of a man who will blame America first, then ignore the facts when he gets around to it. Why else would you try to paint our effort against terrorism as anything but justifiable? If cowardice doesn't drive you, what does? Was Neville Chamberlain a coward because he was so willing to appease Hitler? I think history has shown that he was. At the very least, he was willfully obtuse.

I don't think I said you are a coward

Let me cite: I'm pretty sure you can be a snob and a coward ...

Did I misunderstand your point?

425 posted on 10/04/2002 5:33:42 PM PDT by IronJack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 423 | View Replies]

To: Stavka2
One of your friends e-mailed me stating that you claim to be a United States Military officer If that is the case then then this statement

and Bush and company sold their souls to big oil and the Arabs just like Klinton did to the Chinese...there someone had to say it.

Puts you in violation of the following making you subject to Court Martial

Article 88 - Contempt toward officials

4.12.1 a. Text.

"Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct."
Giving broad circulation to a written publication containing contemptuous words of the kind made punishable by this article, or the utterance of contemptuous words of this kind in the presence of military subordinates, aggravates the offense. The truth or falsity of the statements is immaterial.

426 posted on 10/04/2002 5:45:16 PM PDT by Texasforever
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 364 | View Replies]

To: IronJack
Your criticism of America seems founded on the notion that we are a "bully." Using the standard definition of the word, that means that we oppress smaller, weaker nations for no particular reason except to inflate our own precarious sense of worth.

In recent memory we only attack smaller weaker nations with 'stand-off' weapon systems where we have little or no threat of response.

Therefore, to collaborate with America's Fifth Column critics who label any attempt at self-preservation "imperialist" or "hegemonic" defies the facts in favor of acceptance by those critics. That strikes me as cowardice, the cowardice of a man who will blame America first, then ignore the facts when he gets around to it. Why else would you try to paint our effort against terrorism as anything but justifiable?

The 'War on Terrorism' strikes me as an unending war on the Constitution, much like the 'War on Drugs' or the 'War on Poverty'. I don't blame America, but I do blame our corrupt political class.

With the possible exception of Bosnia, a product of Bill Clinton's sleight-of-hand, the United States has no record of "bullying" anyone.

I think you have overlooked Serbia, Kosovo and our disgraceful attack on a nation trying to defend themselves against Muslim terrorists.

Let me cite: I'm pretty sure you can be a snob and a coward ...

Maybe I should have said 'one can be a snob and a coward' BTW most snobs I know are cowards.

427 posted on 10/04/2002 5:55:57 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 425 | View Replies]

To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet; ArneFufkin
Ping to 426
428 posted on 10/04/2002 6:04:29 PM PDT by Texasforever
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 408 | View Replies]

To: UnBlinkingEye; IronJack
In recent memory we only attack smaller weaker nations with 'stand-off' weapon systems where we have little or no threat of response.

Not to get into the middle of your fight with IronJack but remember......

"No poor dumb SOB ever won a war by dying for his country. You win a war by making the other poor dumb SOB die for his country!"

In addition, Iraq was not a "weak" nation. During the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq killed 300,000 Iranians and wounded more than 500,000.

Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)

Prior to the Gulf War, Iraq had the fourth largest Army in the world.

Prior to the Gulf War, many "experts" testified on Capitol Hill that the U.S. was getting into a World War One style bloodbath, just as Iran had done, and that U.S. casualties would be in the tens of thousands.

When a Commander-in-Chief denies his armed forces the tools they need to fight like Clinton did by denying the requests for armor by U.S. Army field commanders in Somalia, the result is a "Blackhawk Down" fiasco that led to the deaths of 18 U.S. Army soldiers and the wounding of 84 others albeit with the deaths of hundreds of Somali gunmen. Clinton had denied his field commanders the armor they requested because Clinton thought that it might look bad. He was afraid that the U.S. would look like a bully.

The result was 18 dead Americans.

By contrast, in the Gulf War, the U.S. fought to win the War and not to win the Miss Congeniality Award.

The result:

"Iraq went from the fourth-largest army in the world to the second-largest army in Iraq in 100 hours".....Lieutenant General Tom Kelly

429 posted on 10/04/2002 6:53:07 PM PDT by Polybius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 427 | View Replies]

To: UnBlinkingEye
Errr.... we are at war. Did you fail to notice 9/11 or were you out to lunch? Bullying is required when we are up against the terrorist supporters among the Arab nations. Did you expect us to do a Klintoon and back away from confronting the terrorists and eliminating them and their supporters? Get a life!
430 posted on 10/04/2002 6:57:29 PM PDT by Paulus Invictus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UnBlinkingEye
You said: "I think that our troops should always be supported and honored, but I don't think we should blindly follow the politicians who send them to war."


What a bunch of bull pucky. Tell that to all soldiers who died in WWI and II, Korea, VietNam, the Gulf, and Bosnia, Afghanistan and all the other places in the World where we go to defend life and liberty. Tell that theory to their families too. Tell that to our friends who we lost, our family, the people we knew.

IF our military didn't do as ordered, there would be chaos!!

Your statements are just plain BullSh*t. You should be ashamed.

I leave you with a quote that seems to fit this conversation: ""War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
~~ John Stuart Mill ~~

431 posted on 10/04/2002 6:58:48 PM PDT by Vets_Husband_and_Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 422 | View Replies]

To: Texasforever
Ahem.
432 posted on 10/04/2002 7:00:03 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 426 | View Replies]

To: Polybius
When a Commander-in-Chief denies his armed forces the tools they need ... led to the deaths of 18 U.S. Army soldiers and the wounding of 84 others...
As if we ever needed proof that x42 DID SAY: "I loathe the military"
makes me sick

433 posted on 10/04/2002 7:00:42 PM PDT by GirlShortstop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 429 | View Replies]

To: Texasforever
Gotta love that UCMJ!
434 posted on 10/04/2002 7:00:53 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 426 | View Replies]

To: Polybius
Not to get into the middle of your fight with IronJack but remember......

"No poor dumb SOB ever won a war by dying for his country. You win a war by making the other poor dumb SOB die for his country!"

In addition, Iraq was not a "weak" nation. During the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq killed 300,000 Iranians and wounded more than 500,000.

I'm not fighting IronJack, I'm trying to show him another point of view. I am not in favor of equivalent casualties for our troops, but I am also not in favor of American deaths in support of globalism.

Iraq was and is a 'weak' nation compared to us, the threat from them to the United States is minimal.

435 posted on 10/04/2002 7:03:57 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 429 | View Replies]

To: Vets_Husband_and_Wife
What a bunch of bull pucky. Tell that to all soldiers who died in WWI and II, Korea, VietNam, the Gulf, and Bosnia, Afghanistan and all the other places in the World where we go to defend life and liberty. Tell that theory to their families too. Tell that to our friends who we lost, our family, the people we knew.

IF our military didn't do as ordered, there would be chaos!!

Don't forget that if the German and Japanese troops didn't do as ordered WWII would never have happened.

436 posted on 10/04/2002 7:12:22 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 431 | View Replies]

To: Paulus Invictus
Errr.... we are at war.

I keep hearing this from foaming at the mouth supporters.

I see little evidence, we were attacked by 18-20 criminal fanatics, no major attacks since then, no nation claiming responsibility, yet we have declared 'War' on a concept.

437 posted on 10/04/2002 7:41:33 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 430 | View Replies]

To: UnBlinkingEye
Since respect is out of the question, fear will do.
438 posted on 10/04/2002 8:10:32 PM PDT by Redcloak
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 410 | View Replies]

To: UnBlinkingEye
Perhaps it would have been more accurate to characterize your attitude toward America as more "ambivalent" than cowardly. I don't for an instant believe that Iraq is the root of the 9/11 terrorism. But I believe that all the charges leveled against Iraq are true, and that the world would be a better place if it were a giant glass skating rink. I also think that once it's reduced to ruin, we should move on to Yemen, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. Then Malaysia, the Phillipines, and anywhere else the murdering ilk of Islam pollutes.

Once we're done, we should set the world on notice that the levels of barbarism seen in the past will not be tolerated any more. Either you will join civilization or you will be remembered only in gardens of stone.

It is time for Pax Americana.

439 posted on 10/04/2002 8:14:57 PM PDT by IronJack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 427 | View Replies]

To: IronJack
Once we're done, we should set the world on notice that the levels of barbarism seen in the past will not be tolerated any more. Either you will join civilization or you will be remembered only in gardens of stone.

What about the slaughter in Africa? I don't think imperialism or empire is a good role for America.

440 posted on 10/04/2002 8:38:27 PM PDT by UnBlinkingEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 439 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 401-420421-440441-460 ... 661-670 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson