10 replies to this topic

[communitykat]

Okay, okay...as United States citizens, we have been experiencing possibly the most embarrassing and damaging image in our young history. How can we fix this?

[Saint_Michael]

We can't, it is impossible because we have been doing it since the beginning and that is imposing ourselves in other countries, especially in conflicts that have nothing to do with us. You could say we had a part in what Iraq is today because of of events that happen 60 years ago (referring to Iraq's last King). You could say World War II was the stepping stone that would lead into today's events.

Heck we did not need to be in Vietnam but we had to go because of communism same with Korea as well. Yeah some good stuff has come out of it but most of it has been pretty bad. Whoever we made allies with, we made enemies of someone else, then comes the double crossing, Iran-Iraq war prime example.

Sad to say most of these problems have started because of us and how we deal with everyone else and our political influence on the world as well.

[husker]

The US has been messed up for a while and will continue to be messed up. We can't fix what we've done in the past, and it doesn't look like our past will be much different from our future. The people of America seem to just be sitting around letting other people decide what we should be doing. That's the problem, Bush and congress and all those people are making too many decisions rather than the people (some of those decisions are bad you could say). I think the US just needs to let everything in the world unfold and sit back and watch. We have tried to do too many good things that have ended up bad. I think we need to get out of wars and not be very active, then our country might have more integrity to it's name. Sometime we act like we have to control the world, and we need to stop

[BordaForx]

I think we can gain back our integrity. But first, we need to stop causing chaos in foreign countries that have nothing to do with us. Exactly what Saint Michael said. I can't see any war that the US should have fought except for the revolutionary war and World War I and II. Besides that, the US should have fought no other wars.

We, the US, tend to love to stick our noses into foreign country's affairs. That's why everyone in the world hates us so much. If anybody hasn't noticed, the USA isn't very "loved" by any country. The US doesn't fight the war, they cause it (unlike the case in Iraq though). For example, right now USA is trying to cause chaos in North Korea so the people (anybody) will turn against China (only my opinion).

W could somehow gain our integrity back only if we stop getting into other people's affairs. We should just mind our own business and handle our own economy. Iraq doesn't need a democracy. If they do, it'll be utter chaos as we can all see. They need that dictatorship to hold their government steady and it's people will follow the law.

Edited by BordaForx, 08 July 2007 - 10:54 PM.

[SportsLegends]

If you look over the course of human history, I can't think of a single nation that was a world superpower but only "minded its own business." The Roman Empire was constantly trying to expand through miliary conquest, and the British Empire expanded to the point where "the Sun never set on the British Empire". Now that the United States is the undisputed superpower, its leaders will also try and promote the American way of life to the rest of the world- that means Democracy, freedom, and Walmart.

So if you think that the answer is to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, that simply will not happen. Not under this administration, not under the next one, or ever during my lifetime.

Now, given the fact that America is going to remain as the most influential country both economically and militarily, we need to figure out how we can best use our influence.

I can't really disagree with the reasons why we have gone to war over the past sixty years- the prevention of communism, at first, at the removal of dictators/ terrorists, second. It's not like we are invading with the intention of removing good, moral, stabile regimes.

I think that the answer to the original question is that, to regain our integrity, we should use our economic power to do some universal good, like alleviating world hunger, for example. If we can make positive social changes, perhaps our pre-emptive military strikes will not be the only focus when foreigners are discussing the policies of America.

[-[Nero]-]

for the US to regain its integrity, well, it won't be easy. many countries don't respect the US as much as they used to. I'd say the first step for US to regain its integrity is for the bush administration to be replaced, in the words of the queen of hearts from alice of wonderland, Off With His HEAD! =P. bush isn't exactly the ideal leader for the states, he has to go~ that would be the first step... just my 2 cents

[Albus Dumbledore]

I'm sure many people could agree that bush isn
t the ideal leader for the USA, but i do not think that the US Needs to appologize for anything, or do anything to gain anything back. If anything, we should be thanked for what we are doing by the world. If anyone were to go to war with Iraq, Iraq would win.... They would win because their religion and their beliefs do not have any restraints as to killing or destroying land and it's ability to withhold life. So, instead of fighting a fair war, they would just drop a nuclear bomb on anyone who dissagrees with them. Destroying everyone around the explosion, and the ability to withhold life on that land for a long time. The leader of Iraq has said publicly before, that he would gladly kill every single jewish person in the world. But it is impossible to kill every single jewish person in the world without hurting other people, so they would simply blow up everything.


Of course we bump into other peoples affairs, do you think that other countries don't bump into other peoples affairs?

I do not think the US Needs to gain anything back when we are protecting ourselves and the people

[rsf]

communitykat, on Jan 8 2007, 10:44 PM, said:

Okay, okay...as United States citizens, we have been experiencing possibly the most embarrassing and damaging image in our young history. How can we fix this?

Nothing to fix. We acted on the best information we had at the time, backed by much of the UN.

So honestly, we get our new strategy and we move forward from there.

And I didn't vote because for the life of me I could not see a coherent question in there.

[communitykat]

SportsLegends, on Jan 10 2007, 12:03 PM, said:

If you look over the course of human history, I can't think of a single nation that was a world superpower but only "minded its own business." The Roman Empire was constantly trying to expand through miliary conquest, and the British Empire expanded to the point where "the Sun never set on the British Empire". Now that the United States is the undisputed superpower, its leaders will also try and promote the American way of life to the rest of the world- that means Democracy, freedom, and Walmart.

So if you think that the answer is to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, that simply will not happen. Not under this administration, not under the next one, or ever during my lifetime.

Now, given the fact that America is going to remain as the most influential country both economically and militarily, we need to figure out how we can best use our influence.

I can't really disagree with the reasons why we have gone to war over the past sixty years- the prevention of communism, at first, at the removal of dictators/ terrorists, second. It's not like we are invading with the intention of removing good, moral, stabile regimes.

I think that the answer to the original question is that, to regain our integrity, we should use our economic power to do some universal good, like alleviating world hunger, for example. If we can make positive social changes, perhaps our pre-emptive military strikes will not be the only focus when foreigners are discussing the policies of America.

The U.S. and many non-profits around the globe pitch in billions of dollars to world hunger. But sending food is not a soulution to the problem. We need to focus on sustainablility...the ability for the people to grow food and build communities from a grassroots perspective. All it takes is education and tools. Spend billions of dollars sending qualified agriculture and energy and education professionals to communities and see how well folks can fish for themselves.

Additionally, the idea that the US will remain an economic and military power is not a given, and by no means should be thought of that way. Our army is already to its breaking point and we are so much in debt that China owns about 90% of us (in trade deficit). The only thing we have done with the war on terror is allow our president to be accountable for war crimes and created more terrorists. The rest of the world can see this, although some Americans who choolse to be patriots to a man instead of the Constitution may not be able to see things so objectively.

rsf, on Jan 10 2007, 09:14 PM, said:

Nothing to fix. We acted on the best information we had at the time, backed by much of the UN.

So honestly, we get our new strategy and we move forward from there.

And I didn't vote because for the life of me I could not see a coherent question in there.

What exactly do you not understand about the question?

Albus Dumbledore, on Jan 10 2007, 03:17 PM, said:

I'm sure many people could agree that bush isn
t the ideal leader for the USA, but i do not think that the US Needs to appologize for anything, or do anything to gain anything back. If anything, we should be thanked for what we are doing by the world. If anyone were to go to war with Iraq, Iraq would win.... They would win because their religion and their beliefs do not have any restraints as to killing or destroying land and it's ability to withhold life. So, instead of fighting a fair war, they would just drop a nuclear bomb on anyone who dissagrees with them. Destroying everyone around the explosion, and the ability to withhold life on that land for a long time. The leader of Iraq has said publicly before, that he would gladly kill every single jewish person in the world. But it is impossible to kill every single jewish person in the world without hurting other people, so they would simply blow up everything.
Of course we bump into other peoples affairs, do you think that other countries don't bump into other peoples affairs?

I do not think the US Needs to gain anything back when we are protecting ourselves and the people

The whole point is that we are not protecting anyone. We did not go into Iraq to create a free, decomcratic state...we went in there to get rid of "weapons of mass destruction".

The U.S. government make people believe that Iraq had something to do with 9/11. The 9/11 commission said that there is no connection. The United States President lied and covered up data that was contrary to his "message".

We have created more terrorists with our foreign policy. We have weakend our military. The worst possible affect, though, is that we have isolated ourselves. You know when a country wants to start a war with another, the first thing they try to do is isolate them. We have isolated ourselves! and made other countries feel threatened! and have made allies not trust us! Could it be any worse as far as out global position. Anyone who does not feel less safe now than they did in 2000 is fooled by a fool.

[arnz]

The Iraq situation most likely has split America in regard to views on whether the US government should've invaded the place considering the reports that the UN hasnt sanctioned the move. In one viewpoint, it could've made the US and their allies more of a target rather than improving security, and lets not forget that the view of Bush has changed since 9/11.. it was Osama Bin Ladin after 9/11.. only to change to Iraq some months later.