Poll: Does the USA Overly Abuse the Power it has?

[keyton777]

Eh, it does what any country would do if it had the power and influence America has. America seeks to protect its own interests, and often, given how far-reaching those interests are, this leads to conflict with other nations.

Yes, America oversteps its bounds at times (Iraq comes to mind), but I think it's primarily due to a zealous sense of superiority, rather than an intentionally arrogant or aggressive demeanor.

Fix't.

I quite disagree, as a matter of fact. As an American, I do not see myself as inherently superior to any other person of any other nationality, nor do I see my country as inherently superior. It simply happens to be the most powerful at the present time in history.

I have to disagree with your disagreement of my fixing of the previous poster's post. Matter of fact, as an American, I can say that this country sees itself as divinely endowed with a transcendence over any other country or people in the world today. And as outlandish as my claim was, my observation would be as valid as yours. It's a matter of which collective has the louder voice, and that voice tends to be the kind that gathers around city plazas bearing signs announcing that our own president is a godless, dirty Muslim. And that Muslims are godless and dirty. But I love you guys, go base-8 numeric systems and all that.

I have to disagree with you disigreeing with his disagreement of you fixing the preivious poster's post.

As an american i do not feel, nor am i, superior to any one nationaly or internationaly.

I disagree with all disagreements above, and preemptivly disagree with disagreers what disagree with me in future disagreements.
I'd also like to complain about the amount of complaints on this thread.

if id understood that, i would be applauding

 

[keyton777]

America? As in the two continents (North and South) comprising of several nations, one of which is the United States thereof?

Sorry, pet peeve of mine.

It is funny sometimes, the rest of the world thinks that the citizens of the United States have any say over the actions of the United States government. Oh, we choose who makes the "decisions", but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are the one who ultimately make the decisions.

A brief, very loose description of American "outside" history:
For about a century and one half, the United States tried to stay out of other countries' business. Sure, it would fight for more land or amongst itself, but generally it go beyond things that directly effected the nation at large. Then this great depression hit and things started to suck for the United States. Things started to suck everywhere. One European nation decided that the best way to get out of depression was to go to war with everyone else, so they grabbed some friends and started on their merry way. It worked. So much that the other nations of Europe started to realize they couldn't stop it. They pleaded with the States to help, but the States had problems of it's own. Finally, just as it was almost over for Europe, the States thought, "hey, maybe this war stuff will help fix our depression problem". It did. The United States helped the "good guys" beat the "bad guys" and everyone was happy. Except that first country who found itself in a worse state then before and eventually pretty much the same thing happened all over again. The United States realized something, this war stuff really worked for them. Other nations figured out that the United States was pretty good at this war stuff and was willing to help out. Soon a couple nations over in Asia were having troubles, then some in the middle east. Sides kept switching but the United States tended to win no matter what because war was good for their economy, even if they were perpetually losing the actual wars. Then, everyone pretty much started to get along, for the most part. The United States realized something, they were nothing without war to fuel their economy. So they started picking fights, generally fights that were "worthy", but not exactly necessary. Then others started picking fights with them and the United States was like "why not?". Now the US is just revisiting old stomping grounds that they didn't quite finish off properly the last time.

In short, the United States became the world police, mostly because the world asked for it. The problem is, the United States became dependent on it, and of late doesn't know what to do about it.

That's my biased opinion at half past midnight where most of my history classes escape me.

damn, you really didnt pay any attention, the first bit was sorta right, but most of the bottom half was wrong more or less.... got the jist of it thou

 

[keyton777]

It would actually be funny if other nations tried to do the same as the US, imagine Ghana or Norway invading Washington with an army ,slowly moving towards New York because the US having weapons of mass destruction.

somehow, i doubt they would get near washington without diying a lot >.>

 

[Iron Mal]

I quite disagree, as a matter of fact. As an American, I do not see myself as inherently superior to any other person of any other nationality, nor do I see my country as inherently superior. It simply happens to be the most powerful at the present time in history.

The thing is that while there may even be a large number of Americans who show humility like the rest of us and never claim to be superior, there is proveably an even larger number who feel that you can't beat the 'good ol' Red, White n' Blue' (which technically should also refer to the Union Jack of the UK and the French Flag) and that they are better than every other country in the world (you get people like this for every country but seeing as America is the nation under analysis here we shall restrict our discussion to there).

America probably does abuse it's power (as all super powers invariably will), it has taken part in pointless wars, invaded the freedom and privacy of it's own people and has become a figure of fun worldwide due to the percentage of the populace who keep repeating to themselves (as an American fellow once told me over Xbox Live) 'just you fucking remember, the USA is number fucking one! you'd better go out and get an American flag tattooed to your fucking head so every morning you can wake up and remind yourself who the best fucking country in the world is!' (clearly, this guy did not strike me as an intellectual or as a representitive of his country but my point still remains).

I've been to the US and I've seen good people, bad people, smart people, dumb people, ugly people, beautiful people (namely the women), young old and in between, black, white, asian and all the rest of it. It's pretty much like any other country I've been to (we have hooligans and chavs, you get hilbillies and rednecks), in my opinion, the only reason the US get's a bad reputation is because a) it's had some painfully bad leaders lately (need I mention President Bush?) and b) it's one of the more famous countries at the moment so it's popular to rip into it.

 

[keyton777]

It would actually be funny if other nations tried to do the same as the US, imagine Ghana or Norway invading Washington with an army ,slowly moving towards New York because the US having weapons of mass destruction.

You DO understand that the general populace of the US has more and better guns (civilians buy foreign weapons) than most nation's militaries right?

Would be funny to watch the very short, very one-sided battle though.

i say, that assault would be shattered in under 5 hours, purely from air superiority, have you seen the shit that the USAF has?

 

[keyton777]

Yes all the super powers have.
Imagine if the Queen took back her power from the CommonWealth.
Or if China showed their true militial potential (It Will Happen)
Over 1 BILLION possible Conscripts that dont necessarily need Guns.
Or If North Korea fessed up on their number of Nukes.

which would all be peices of crap that couldnt make a dent in a large city >.>
serioulsy, they are all way under a single megaton, barly a kiloton, and they dont have the money to go to war for any amount of time, china will annex them, or Skorea will, and all this bullshti will go bibi.


and the queen taking her powr back would be funny, as would china forming its own conscript army

 

[keyton777]

Does reek of kiddy trolling IMHO but in the interest of mature adult conversation.

No, the USA does not abuse its power, as the most powerful it gets to dictate its own actions. Compared to the history of the nations critiquing the USA the yanks are unblemished virginal saints in the being assholes department and frankly if foreign powers kept their bloody noses out the debacle of Vietnam and the false start of the Gulf War would have been short painfree military excursions.

The Iraq war was a direct effect of the Americans being stopped at the border in the Gulf War. If they were allowed to complete their objectives the transition would have been much faster and more succinct.

Typically people railing against the 'industrial corporate imperialism' of the US are middleclass liberal halfwits with the intellectual understanding of a hatpin. They know little history and less politics. They are the kind of people that think things can be acheived without any military might. Ironically they are also the people responsible for the American withdraw in Somali which is why that country is so bollocksed at the moment. Because they dont understand people are hairless monkeys that will rape, kill and plunder the moment your back is turned. Much like a forum the vocal minority saying the countries fine, has no REALISTIC bearing on the actual condition of the country. See current Iraq occupation.

Summary - The US is the biggest dog in the park it can bite any other dog it wants, whos going to stop it. In the real world might makes right, morally and ethically is irrelevant in world politics (See Nazi Germany & the USSR) the US didnt go to war because of attrocities it went to war because it was attacked.

you sir, have made an excellent point, bravo

 

[keyton777]

Does/walloftext attacked.

You make a lot of good points. I honestly wasn't trying to troll, I just wanted some more detailed arguments than I'd get in another thread. Also, I am an American citizen, so I'm not trying to start a hate thread.

I find www.strategypage.com (Which appears to be an unofficial news page for the yank armed forces) to be very informative and before any liberals kick off about biased I can only tolerate about 3 words of ill informed BBC quoting lies and slander. Feel free to find me a nice counterpoint that doesnt think Michael Moore is a god ;D. Besides which the guys on the ground are the guys I trust. I mean if the US military had listen to a lowly lieutenant colonel they woulda won Vietnam as in across the board success. If you want to know more read A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan, which is about John Paul Vann a very intelligent guy who knew exactly what the US needed to do. He was the Sun Tzu (Wouldnt surprise me if Vann was a pupil) of his day and America hasn't followed any of the suggestions in any conflict after that.

The reason America has this poor image is the big heavy boot approach to small issues. There are a hundred ways with more finesse to deal with these problems. Particularly in Afghanistan, the yanks have realised that they need to win hearts and minds and less shooting. This approach is working hence the problems in Pakistan, but the whole deal could be avoided if MI was allowed to do its job without political boundaries interefereing with military action.

America should actually be using its might to threaten friendly countries in to allowing its strike teams to operate with impunity. Due to a lack of unified purpose and pathetic posturing that will never happen.

it might have helped a little, if the guys in charge actually read the art of war, and paid attention for ALL OF IT, also, the guy in charge of everything could have been smarter, bush really was a bit of an idiot.
that, and for some dumb reason, we have burecrats in some parts of our military, unfortunately, some of them are making battlefeild decisions that should be made by a guy who knows what the fuck is going on

 

[LaughingTarget]

Folks that whine about power abuse are just jealous that they can't abuse it.

 

[keyton777]

Eh, it does what any country would do if it had the power and influence America has. America seeks to protect its own interests, and often, given how far-reaching those interests are, this leads to conflict with other nations.

Yes, America oversteps its bounds at times (Iraq comes to mind), but I think it's primarily due to a zealous sense of superiority, rather than an intentionally arrogant or aggressive demeanor.

Fix't.

I quite disagree, as a matter of fact. As an American, I do not see myself as inherently superior to any other person of any other nationality, nor do I see my country as inherently superior. It simply happens to be the most powerful at the present time in history.

Exactly.

Wait, isnt that China? Arent they funding your wars? Dont you owe shit-loads of money to them?
Point being, what does POWER mean when we are trying to achieve peace?

no, i doubt we owe china shitloads of money, i think we owe the world shitloads of money, and they owe the same to everyone else

 

[keyton777]

Eh, it does what any country would do if it had the power and influence America has. America seeks to protect its own interests, and often, given how far-reaching those interests are, this leads to conflict with other nations.

Yes, America oversteps its bounds at times (Iraq comes to mind), but I think it's primarily due to a zealous sense of superiority, rather than an intentionally arrogant or aggressive demeanor.

Fix't.

I quite disagree, as a matter of fact. As an American, I do not see myself as inherently superior to any other person of any other nationality, nor do I see my country as inherently superior. It simply happens to be the most powerful at the present time in history.

Exactly.

Wait, isnt that China? Arent they funding your wars? Dont you owe shit-loads of money to them?
Point being, what does POWER mean when we are trying to achieve peace?

no, i doubt we owe china shitloads of money, i think we owe the world shitloads of money, and they owe the same to everyone else

It's not that we 'owe' them a shitload of money, it's that China currently owns $700 Billion in US Treasury Bonds. That much is certainly true.

where is the US debt at now? last i looked it was at 5 trillion i think >.>

 

[Lord George]

At times yes, but we do nothing even near as bad as what Europe did

I don't think Europe as a collective has ever done anything bad except fighting itself.


But yes America abuses its power, I wouldn't mind that but it also seems to like to pretend it doesn't, at least the great empires like Rome/Britian ect. were honest about attacking and pillaging other countries.

Hmm, the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, WW2 (I'm pretty sure people in Africa were killed during WW2...I could totally be wrong though...no wait, I'm not. Hence the term 'World War 2') Shall I continue?

Thats not Europe that's England/Spain/France/Russia/Poland/Australia, you can't judge all the other countries in Europe on the actions of a few countries.

All of those countries, except for Russia and maybe...maybe Austria are considered part of Europe. You people continue to generalize Americans to suit your own ends in demonizing every single one of us. The same can and will be done to you. The collective of 'Europe' is responsible for a great many deaths, more than America really, considering several European countries help in the pacification of the Native American Indians, however, the US is responsible for a large portion of that. Next time you feel like lobbing bullshit accusations at an entire society, make sure you're without guilt also.

I love the fact you just generalised all Europeans as American hating, the irony is quite delectable I infact consider all the Americans I've met to have been quite nice people and hope to visit America in my future travels, its only its Government I have a problem with. I have no idea why you seek to argue so intently when all I stated was that Europe is not a collective like the USA and does not move as one. It is a number of countries varying drastically in culture and belief composed of members who all hate each other and thus you can't really say "Europe did" this or that because we have no ruling government and are connected by little then geographical locality. But enough of this I fear I have gone off topic enough for one thread.

 

[keyton777]

China has 180 nukes. U.S has over 4,000 nukes.

No one will ever fuck with the u.s at its doorsteps.

Crazy fuckin' idea, right here: what if China used its nukes to detonate America's nukes?

well, then the US, and her allies, will reduce china into the biggest radiated zone on earth, and all of humaninity would move into underground cities the size of canada

 

[keyton777]

Yes they are,they are going round the world waging war to smaller nations,most lately to get oil,i think they should leave other countries alone (like Korea,Vietnam,Iraq) and stop being "global police" for their own reasons

wasnt the Us responding to Skoreas pleads for help?
so we cant respond to a country asking for help?
that would be the wrong move if we didnt help in some way, besides that war isnt over yet, and Nkorea has been rotting since

 

[SoundKiller777]

Sorry have to leave, ill be quick.

Power, what power?

Economy Anyone ?