Going to agree with the OP on this one. Honestly, I believe the US is held to a double standard by most of the world - If a country has a problem and can't fix it themselves, they expect us to tromp on over and fix it for them. Once it's fixed, we're expected to take our bows and leave; heavens forbid we stay to make sure that our interventions stick. Or, in a few cases, when we go in to attempt something noble, albeit put together in just a *slightly* bad fashion (referring to Vietnam, Moggy and our current conflict) and we start to make progress, it's not fast enough for everyone else, or we do something that some weak-myocardial person cries themselves to sleep about every night, and the world pressures us into leaving.
In Vietnam, it ended with the South Vietnamese in a bad way, with the absolutely batshit insane leadership of the NV and the VC free to prosper, and develop into their current Kim Jong Il'ish self. Why we couldn't do anything there was because of our fear of hitting the Communist Chinese benefactors of the North Vietnamese who were in their cities, and we were restrained in a hilarious fashion from doing anything but sending our men out on what were practically suicide missions.
In Mogadishu, the warlords slaughtered the populace, and we along with the UN got involved. While the UN was focused on getting the people food and other supplies, they were constantly attacked and overrun by militia who took the supplies so they could A: keep the armies of the warlords rolling, and B: so they could sell the supplies to the innocents and gain their support, along with their money. The Rangers got involved after the UN kept getting attacked, and tried to take out the leadership so the militia would crumble on itself and the UN could restore order. It might've actually worked if the militias had not been supported and supplied by Osama with RPGs and other such weaponry, allowing them to cause one of our biggest tragedies in a very long time at that point. We were forced to withdraw because there was no way for us to continue when they had weaponry of the sort; it simply was not cost effective to perform the raiding missions that we had been with the threat of that type of loss hanging in the air.
With our current war, I believe we started it to hunt for Osama Bin Laden after 9/11, and managed to divert ourselves to the worthwhile cause of letting the Iraqi people not suffer under an insane dictator anymore. After taking him down, we've been left with the mission of making sure it doesn't fall apart faster than the Iraqis can rebuild it, which is a fucking horrendous task. We're the only thing holding that country together right now, and we have to wait until the Iraqis are ready to hold everything in place themselves before we can leave, which sucks.
That's the main post - in responses to various opinions expressed, I'd like to say the following.
On Iraq and Oil; I do believe that if we'd been there for oil, we'd of seen a price drop in gas a couple years back, with prices holding steady thereafter from our newfound income. Unless, of course, you think that Bush and his buddies are funneling it into their invisible skyyacht, for only their use. Or maybe, we wouldn't be in an economic downturn! (Read, impending depression) Also, I'd prefer it if you didn't liken my brothers and sisters to mercenaries, dying in the pursuit of money. Hold someone who's just been mortally wounded, and tell them they died for nothing important. I'm sure they'll love it.
On the USA as the police force of the world: If not us, who? You may think that every country can handle itself, and honestly, it'd be great if that were true. Less of my guys dying for another country. Speaking of which... think about France, England, China, the Germans who weren't Hitler and his followers during the reign of Nazi Germany, the Jews, and all the other countries/People who were getting smacked around during World War II by the Axis. Hurrah for the Americans, the men who came to help in their time of need. Should we have shrugged them off, saying it was their own problem, and to handle it without us? Someone's got to be there for people not their own in need, and while no one particularly has that mission statement as their #1 goal, it's worthwhile and needs doing.
Finally, in reference to "Communist China" and soforth. I love these countries, I love the people; in most cases, I just hate the governments that want to oppress and kill their own for personal gain.
In Vietnam, it ended with the South Vietnamese in a bad way, with the absolutely batshit insane leadership of the NV and the VC free to prosper, and develop into their current Kim Jong Il'ish self. Why we couldn't do anything there was because of our fear of hitting the Communist Chinese benefactors of the North Vietnamese who were in their cities, and we were restrained in a hilarious fashion from doing anything but sending our men out on what were practically suicide missions.
In Mogadishu, the warlords slaughtered the populace, and we along with the UN got involved. While the UN was focused on getting the people food and other supplies, they were constantly attacked and overrun by militia who took the supplies so they could A: keep the armies of the warlords rolling, and B: so they could sell the supplies to the innocents and gain their support, along with their money. The Rangers got involved after the UN kept getting attacked, and tried to take out the leadership so the militia would crumble on itself and the UN could restore order. It might've actually worked if the militias had not been supported and supplied by Osama with RPGs and other such weaponry, allowing them to cause one of our biggest tragedies in a very long time at that point. We were forced to withdraw because there was no way for us to continue when they had weaponry of the sort; it simply was not cost effective to perform the raiding missions that we had been with the threat of that type of loss hanging in the air.
With our current war, I believe we started it to hunt for Osama Bin Laden after 9/11, and managed to divert ourselves to the worthwhile cause of letting the Iraqi people not suffer under an insane dictator anymore. After taking him down, we've been left with the mission of making sure it doesn't fall apart faster than the Iraqis can rebuild it, which is a fucking horrendous task. We're the only thing holding that country together right now, and we have to wait until the Iraqis are ready to hold everything in place themselves before we can leave, which sucks.
That's the main post - in responses to various opinions expressed, I'd like to say the following.
On Iraq and Oil; I do believe that if we'd been there for oil, we'd of seen a price drop in gas a couple years back, with prices holding steady thereafter from our newfound income. Unless, of course, you think that Bush and his buddies are funneling it into their invisible skyyacht, for only their use. Or maybe, we wouldn't be in an economic downturn! (Read, impending depression) Also, I'd prefer it if you didn't liken my brothers and sisters to mercenaries, dying in the pursuit of money. Hold someone who's just been mortally wounded, and tell them they died for nothing important. I'm sure they'll love it.
On the USA as the police force of the world: If not us, who? You may think that every country can handle itself, and honestly, it'd be great if that were true. Less of my guys dying for another country. Speaking of which... think about France, England, China, the Germans who weren't Hitler and his followers during the reign of Nazi Germany, the Jews, and all the other countries/People who were getting smacked around during World War II by the Axis. Hurrah for the Americans, the men who came to help in their time of need. Should we have shrugged them off, saying it was their own problem, and to handle it without us? Someone's got to be there for people not their own in need, and while no one particularly has that mission statement as their #1 goal, it's worthwhile and needs doing.
Finally, in reference to "Communist China" and soforth. I love these countries, I love the people; in most cases, I just hate the governments that want to oppress and kill their own for personal gain.
