War without end - it's the American way

[Crazy Horse]

I'll start this out with a big 

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2883988

NNN0LHI  (1000+ posts)      Mon Feb-18-08 10:06 AM
Original message
War without end - it's the American way
 Advertisements [?]http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2008/02/17/opin...

War without end - it's the American way
By Randy Alcorn/Right on Target


Americans like to think of themselves as the crest of the human wave, the highest manifestation of human potential to organize society for the maximum benefit of all its members. The greatest nation in the history of mankind.

Yet, such high self-esteem seems shameful vanity when belied by our poor choice of leaders, and where we have allowed them to take us. snip

On average since 1776, America has had a war every 19 years - roughly one for each generation of Americans. Some wars have been justifiable and necessary. For example, the Revolutionary War and World War II.

But other conflicts, such as the Mexican American, Spanish American and Vietnam wars, have had questionable justifications and were provoked by selfish interests or by political and ideological follies.

Indeed, in several cases, our political leaders have manipulated the nation into war by employing deceit and appealing to the public's irrational emotions of fear and rage.

George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, who used their congenital privilege to avoid combat in Vietnam, have employed artifice to push America into the ruinous Iraq war. They have not experienced the horror of war first hand - the dismembered bodies, the smell of burning flesh, the stomach-turning moans of the wounded and dying, the abject grief and despair of the survivors.

Shock and awe may be a powerful boast in a speech made thousands of miles from the war zone, but its reality is no source of pride.

 

no_hypocrisy  (1000+ posts)      Mon Feb-18-08 10:15 AM
Response to Original message
2. It's part of the GDP

.

endarkenment (1000+ posts)       Mon Feb-18-08 10:19 AM
Response to Original message
3. My entire lifetime: endless war.
 It really is discouraging.

IDemo (1000+ posts)       Mon Feb-18-08 10:51 AM
Response to Original message
4. Arthur Silber writes of this at great length
 in his Dominion Over the World series.

In the earlier parts of this series, I maintained that, contrary to what many people believe, the war on Iraq represents a continuation of U.S. foreign policy over the last century (and slightly longer). It is time to limn the broad outlines of that foreign policy, and some of its major roots.

For that purpose, I will set out here a few key excerpts from Christopher Layne's very valuable book, The Peace of Illusions: American Grand Strategy from 1940 to the Present. Although Layne's focus begins with World War II, I will take certain aspects of his thesis back still farther: to the Spanish-American War and the ensuing U.S. occupation of the Philippines, and even to the Mexican-American War. As I have argued, the central themes go back to our very early history as a nation.

 

[Lord Undies]

After I rule out their stupid playbook slogans, I can not get a liberal to tell me when the USA has acted as aggressors at any time in history.  Strange, that.   

[Uhhuh35]

After I rule out their stupid playbook slogans, I can not get a liberal to tell me when the USA has acted as aggressors at any time in history.  Strange, that. 

[DUmmie Mode] What? We were the aggressors of the illegal war in Iraq! In fact, the mere existance of the USA and it's murderous military machine is an aggressive provocation to the rest of the civilized world!
[/DUmmie Mode]

[Crazy Horse]

After I rule out their stupid playbook slogans, I can not get a liberal to tell me when the USA has acted as aggressors at any time in history.  Strange, that.   

Yes Jan 9, 1861 when the Star of the West under flag of the USA instigated a fight with the cadets of the Citadel while trying to resupply Fort Sumter. Fort SUmter was being held by troops of the USA.

Then in July of 1861 the war of Northern Aggression was started when the USA invaded Virginia, (a state in another country),  around Manasas

[Lord Undies]

After I rule out their stupid playbook slogans, I can not get a liberal to tell me when the USA has acted as aggressors at any time in history.  Strange, that. 

[DUmmie Mode] What? We were the aggressors of the illegal war in Iraq! In fact, the mere existence of the USA and it's murderous military machine is an aggressive provocation to the rest of the civilized world!
[/DUmmie Mode]

See, that doesn't work with me.  There is history which cannot be ignored.  At no time has the USA intervened in a peaceful situation to create a war for imperialistic purposes.  It just ain't EVER happened.

If liberals think the news out of Iraq is grim now, can you imagine what they would have thought if CNN had actually been reporting the truth from their Baghdad bureau all the years prior to the US intervention?  Remember, CNN thought (like all liberal-think) that their presence there was more important than their journalistic mission.  What if CNN had been reporting Saddam Hussein's daily body count?  What would liberals have done?

For a philosophical group who is ready to war with their own President over something as nonthreatening as 'waterboarding', why were they not ready to pick up arms themselves and stop the horrible slaughter going on in Iraq?  

[DixieBelle]

Why do we only have 50 states (and a few protectorates) and why hasn't Dubya turned on that mighty oil spigot in the M.E.? Where's the oil for blood they promised??? *eyeroll*

[jtyangel]

Why do we only have 50 states (and a few protectorates) and why hasn't Dubya turned on that mighty oil spigot in the M.E.? Where's the oil for blood they promised??? *eyeroll*

No kidding! Let's see...gas was about 1.45 a gallon on the day of the initial authorization for the Iraq war and today it is about 3.00 a gallon. So much for that war for oil crap.

[jukin]

If liberals think the news out of Iraq is grim now, can you imagine what they would have thought if CNN had actually been reporting the truth from their Baghdad bureau all the years prior to the US intervention?  Remember, CNN thought (like all liberal-think) that their presence there was more important than their journalistic mission.  What if CNN had been reporting Saddam Hussein's daily body count?  What would liberals have done?

Not just that but they refused to report because they were concerned what saddam would kick them out.  CNN has openly admitted that prewar reporting was biased and censored. At leat now their reporting is just BIASED.

[Chris_]

After I rule out their stupid playbook slogans, I can not get a liberal to tell me when the USA has acted as aggressors at any time in history.  Strange, that.   

Yes Jan 9, 1861 when the Star of the West under flag of the USA instigated a fight with the cadets of the Citadel while trying to resupply Fort Sumter. Fort SUmter was being held by troops of the USA.

Then in July of 1861 the war of Northern Aggression was started when the USA invaded Virginia, (a state in another country),  around Manasas

Virginia was a state and a member of the USA, as it is now.  The quelling of an insurrection was in the national interest.

OK -- we're even.  You stated your view, I stated the historically-accurate counter. No reason to re-fight the battle between the states.

[TheSarge]

Why do we only have 50 states (and a few protectorates) and why hasn't Dubya turned on that mighty oil spigot in the M.E.? Where's the oil for blood they promised??? *eyeroll*

I've been waiting since we started bombing Afghanistan for the cheap oil to start flooding our markets.

After all that's when the "No Blood For Oil" crap started this time around.

[formerlurker]

So the DU is parroting Ron Paul and lewrockwell.com now? 

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Can they show us a nation in history that wasn't at war once every generation?

[LadyLiberty]

After I rule out their stupid playbook slogans, I can not get a liberal to tell me when the USA has acted as aggressors at any time in history.  Strange, that. 

[DUmmie Mode] What? We were the aggressors of the illegal war in Iraq! In fact, the mere existence of the USA and it's murderous military machine is an aggressive provocation to the rest of the civilized world!
[/DUmmie Mode]

See, that doesn't work with me.  There is history which cannot be ignored.  At no time has the USA intervened in a peaceful situation to create a war for imperialistic purposes.  It just ain't EVER happened.

If liberals think the news out of Iraq is grim now, can you imagine what they would have thought if CNN had actually been reporting the truth from their Baghdad bureau all the years prior to the US intervention?  Remember, CNN thought (like all liberal-think) that their presence there was more important than their journalistic mission.  What if CNN had been reporting Saddam Hussein's daily body count?  What would liberals have done?

For a philosophical group who is ready to war with their own President over something as nonthreatening as 'waterboarding', why were they not ready to pick up arms themselves and stop the horrible slaughter going on in Iraq?  

I can't imagine what the libtards would be saying  about the US and WWII if that were aired on CNN.

[TheSarge]

So the DU is parroting Ron Paul and lewrockwell.com now? 

Not sure who is copying whom in this one.  Both have been saying this crap for just about as long.