This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
ATripToNowhere · 46-50, M
@ATripToNowhere the US is always called on to be the world police. We don't actually start any wars ever. WWI was ongoing before we stepped in. WWII was ongoing and then Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Korea was already warring. Vietnam was already warring...all of the Persian related wars were already going.
ATripToNowhere · 46-50, M
@LILY61 War is a nasty habit from the cave man era! If your only weapons are spear and shields, the deaths and injuries are limited. Because of human creativity, in the last 7 thousand years, the weapons have grown to the point where a war could threaten the survival of the human species. Civilizations have successfully altered many of the bad habits of the cave man era. International regulation of war has helped but more needs to be done.
The vast majority of people and nations do not support their countries going to war. However, strong efforts by their country's leaders and mass media to foment war can convince most people to go to war. Once convinced those people see war as inevitable.
The United Nations was created during the last months of WW2 to prevent another world war. Although the United Nations has many serious problems, it has succeeded so far in preventing WW3.
Americans are more likely to ask questions about war during periods when their country is involved in a war it can't resolve. The USA has been among the 5 most powerful countries since 1880 according to some historians. I understand, in Washington, D.C., restaurants advertise as being the place where the most powerful of the most powerful city dine. In discussion on TV about Iraq, there is an assumption that the USA can do what it wants in Iraq without concerning ourselves with how the Iraqi or other people in the region feel.
After the end of the Cold War, many Americans concluded that they were the greatest nation ever. This leads to what can be described as hubris or "victory disease". Hubris is defined as exaggerated self pride, arrogance or self-confidence, often resulting in fatal retribution. Because of hubris, many Americans have concluded that they had no need to think carefully before acting. See "Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic".
I expect that the current economic problems will be eventually traced to bad decisions by the American government leading to deregulating the mortgage and finance industries. I expect that the current foreign problems will be eventually traced to bad decisions concerning the America's role in the world following the end of the Cold War. Today no country can be the self-appointed world's policeman. Hubris results in poorly thought-out decisions being made. Today we see the results of these poorly made decisions in Amercian economy and foreign affairs. The question I would ask is "Can the USA learn from its mistakes?". If the answer is yes, then we have hope of overcoming hubris.
The vast majority of people and nations do not support their countries going to war. However, strong efforts by their country's leaders and mass media to foment war can convince most people to go to war. Once convinced those people see war as inevitable.
The United Nations was created during the last months of WW2 to prevent another world war. Although the United Nations has many serious problems, it has succeeded so far in preventing WW3.
Americans are more likely to ask questions about war during periods when their country is involved in a war it can't resolve. The USA has been among the 5 most powerful countries since 1880 according to some historians. I understand, in Washington, D.C., restaurants advertise as being the place where the most powerful of the most powerful city dine. In discussion on TV about Iraq, there is an assumption that the USA can do what it wants in Iraq without concerning ourselves with how the Iraqi or other people in the region feel.
After the end of the Cold War, many Americans concluded that they were the greatest nation ever. This leads to what can be described as hubris or "victory disease". Hubris is defined as exaggerated self pride, arrogance or self-confidence, often resulting in fatal retribution. Because of hubris, many Americans have concluded that they had no need to think carefully before acting. See "Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic".
I expect that the current economic problems will be eventually traced to bad decisions by the American government leading to deregulating the mortgage and finance industries. I expect that the current foreign problems will be eventually traced to bad decisions concerning the America's role in the world following the end of the Cold War. Today no country can be the self-appointed world's policeman. Hubris results in poorly thought-out decisions being made. Today we see the results of these poorly made decisions in Amercian economy and foreign affairs. The question I would ask is "Can the USA learn from its mistakes?". If the answer is yes, then we have hope of overcoming hubris.
@ATripToNowhere wow that was some answer...that had nothing to do with what i said.
America is always called on as if we were the world police. We should act like the world police, but sadly the US does not learn from its mistakes...ever. We would have gone to the Ukraine immediately to stop the war before it started.
Then everybody else and his brother went to war after the Russian/ Ukrainian war started.
We also did not learn from the previous pandemic and during the next pandemic, we will behave just as stupidly as we did this time.
America is always called on as if we were the world police. We should act like the world police, but sadly the US does not learn from its mistakes...ever. We would have gone to the Ukraine immediately to stop the war before it started.
Then everybody else and his brother went to war after the Russian/ Ukrainian war started.
We also did not learn from the previous pandemic and during the next pandemic, we will behave just as stupidly as we did this time.