And I am not one bit sad that Europe is taking over the reigns from the US. Finally some sanity, and historical knowledge of how to deal with the world properly. As the article says quite effectively that Bush for America is quite possible the worst thing to come around in a while. America waving its Phallus in the world’s face isn’t working anymore. Not only is the US now much weaker militarily, its weaker economically, and political throughout the world. The only reason why the US is a superpower is because people in the world regard it is as such. America used to garner respect from the majority of the world’s population. But now that Europe seems to silently move on what was America’s turf, the inevitable shift of power should happen very soon. With moral power being rested into Europe’s corner, and economic power going to East Asia, what is America left with? A military, a military power without the means to support itself might as well have no army. Of course this is under the presumption that Bush is re-elected. If you were to read the article he does talk about the Kerry alternative. Americans over the past four years have made me laugh, and made me very sad. Even here on sci, I will never forget the jingoistic idiocy of so many Americans. You cannot say that we didn’t warn you America, we sure as hell did. But Americans don’t care about the rest of the world right? That’s America’s misfortune because America will suffer in the end, and the rest of the world will indeed move on. GO EUROPE!
i didn't read that whole post of yours, but here's my opinion. my apologies if it's repetative: 1) France and Germany (and the rest of them) really don't want to send any troops or significant aid to you-know-where... with Kerry in power there will be more pressure on them to do so, so from their perspective, in this regard, it's better Bush be president 2) playing "good cop, bad cop", with EU being the good cop, Bush's US will do all the dirty work for EU (i.e. fighting international terrorism). their delicate hands won't be stained. their objectives of security will be met and they won't have to lift a finger. ... i think the anti-terrorism and law-enforcement communities in France and Germany etc. recognize the dangers.. they just don't have gov't approval for any action. well, thank G-d for that crazy cowboy from Texas. 3) Bush is more for outsourcing and free trade. Kerry is more protectionist. economic conditions with a Bush in power are preferable for EU 4) Bush being the whipping boy of Europe gains EU good diplomatic and economic relations with, and temporary security (or at least the false sense of it) from the Islamo-fascists (be it countries or international organizations). Bush is therefore preferable politics is a dirty game. they want him, but they are publicly against him. and people wonder why politicians are so hated
1) France and Germany (and the rest of them) really don't want to send any troops or significant aid to you-know-where... with Kerry in power there will be more pressure on them to do so, so from their perspective, in this regard, it's better Bush be president Oh oth you missed the entire point of the argument, the argument was that the attitude and motivations that you are telling me is working against the US. The Bush insistence on a singular path is actually doing more harm then good. I am not fully surprised you didn’t read the article, so your opinion reflects that. Not unlike Bush in the debates you totally missed the point. Kerry will not bring new nations on board of course not, but what he can do that Bush cannot do is bring the diplomatic forces necessary to get the US out of Iraq earlier. Like Nixon, Kerry would want a “respectful withdrawal”. 2) playing "good cop, bad cop", with EU being the good cop, Bush's US will do all the dirty work for EU (i.e. fighting international terrorism). their delicate hands won't be stained. their objectives of security will be met and they won't have to lift a finger. ... i think the anti-terrorism and law-enforcement communities in France and Germany etc. recognize the dangers.. they just don't have gov't approval for any action. well, thank G-d for that crazy cowboy from Texas. Actually Bush is only exacerbating the terrorism threat so much that he has created a situation that the US cannot win without a total rethinking of strategy, and that won’t happen with Bush in power. Again oth you are missing the point, and you fundamentally misunderstand what the war “on terror” is. Its not dropping bombs, its co-option. Now I know that OBL is saying thank G-d for that crazy cowboy from Texas but most military, and political analysis’s would like to disagree. 3) Bush is more for outsourcing and free trade. Kerry is more protectionist. economic conditions with a Bush in power are preferable for EU That’s all rhetoric, Kerry is just as pro-free trade as Bush. Kerry even said that he can’t and won’t stop outsourcing. What Kerry is doing is rightfully stop rewarding American companies for outsourcing. That makes no sense, and to get the budget under control, and deficit which largely exists due to these underperforming tax cuts. 4) Bush being the whipping boy of Europe gains EU good diplomatic and economic relations with, and temporary security (or at least the false sense of it) from the Islamo-fascists (be it countries or international organizations). Bush is therefore preferable Islamic fundamentalists are a segment of that society, and they hate the entire west. But the actual nations in the region would much rather deal with Brussels then Washington, and no matter what you think. When 50% of the world’s oil talks it talks.
Europe is impotent. The UN is impotent. The American Left is impotent. The US can kick ass, while ignoring the three constituencies. Together, the three couldn't stop us from doing what we wanted to do. Even now, the most you can do is attempt to embarass us into submissiom. Except, we're not you. We have no reason to share in your embarassing impotence.
Spain was an arrogant world power once. Seems hard to believe now, doesn't it? Since when did being an American have anything to do with basking in the reflected glory of an empire? What a long way we've strayed from Jefferson's agrarian ideal. I wonder how much longer it will be before we start to experience a brain drain, as freethinkers see the writing on the wall, and start to leave this country? My bet is it will begin soon if Bush is elected.
Then when somebody comes and kills 2,700 people hijacking four jets, knocking down two towers, and nailing the Pentagon, y'all ought not cry and scream and just suck up and take it like the men you claim to be. All of this "It's not fair," crap is a sick, sad joke. All of this, "I'm so individual, I'm so tough, I'm with the people who want to kick ass," horsepucky is just a pathetic excuse to hide the fact of your real and natural impotence.
You said it, Mr. G. REAL MEN carry big guns and know how to use 'em! If you shoot 'em all up, then you are the big dick in the sandbox and no one messes with you, right? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I'm sure you realize that we GOT to be a world power by being a global power player and having diplomatic ties with the other major powers of Europe rather than just being the big bully on the block that "don't take no shit from no one". I'm also sure you realize the day by day more of the world is coming to despise America nd what it stands for. I'm sure you also realize that although each individual kid may be afraid of the school bully, if enough of them get pissed of and gang up on him he is coming down hard and fast. I'm sure you further realize that the EU and the UN only have so much patience, and if and when England decides they have had enough of Blair being Bush's lap-dog their patience (our one saving grace and perhaps the strongest military in the EU) they will no longer be in our corner anymore (many if not most of the English people have already lost their patience with us). Wait. If you did already realize all this, how could you still have that mentality? Maybe you don't actually realize it. I guess I just don't understand... Even if the bully mentality and acticity DID work and WAS sustainable for any appreciable amount of time what is positive about being the one that everyone hates and is afraid of? How does that benefit us?
I think the article is spot on when it says that a 2nd Bush term will turn European anger against the neocon Bushies into full blown Anti-American antipathy. America can be excused (hopefully) this one time. Bush had no mandate for his doctorine when he came to power. Many of us shuddered at this call to empire for the homeland that he espouses. America will have no excuse on the world stage if we allow the demon another term to 'stay on offense'. In America, more folks die every 2 days as a result from cigarette smoke than died on 9-11. Where is the war on disinformation? Bush said he will stay on offense, he said it will be a generational war, he has called out the Axis of Iraq, Iran, South Korea. We will have no excuse. He has told us where he stands. Installing him to power for 4 more years is endorsing 20 years of war with 60 nations. God save America.
Bush had no mandate for his doctorine when he came to power. he received it after 9/11 from Congress... even Kerry voted to give him that mandate
Well its pretty damned obvious Mr.G has illusions of power, but that is the general story with the US in general. Yes we are #1, we own the world, and we can kick all your asses. How reality can play cruel jokes on the US, and history as well. For one can easily see the US would lose another war in Korea, it wouldn’t have a chance against Iran (an invasion), America can’t stop a starving third world nation from developing nuclear weapons and ICBM’s, but American can attack and defame a fourth world nation, with no organized defence like Iraq and claim to be a power? Surely a society cannot be this sad can it? But alas it is that sad, America can’t even afford to do anything without getting billions of dollars worth of loans from China or Japan. Is this the power that Mr.G is talking about? Unlike the US, Europe pays its way, it doesn’t have deficits, it owed more then it owes. The US is a sad, daft, pathetic excuse of a great nation that it used to be. America was a great nation at one time in history, too bad now its ideals of its revolution have all but faded in the abyss of illusionary grandeur which Mr.G shows so accurately. Oth: he received it after 9/11 from Congress... even Kerry voted to give him that mandate What exactly?
Undecided; Opinions are such a cheap commodity, precisly because they're free. Sweden: Land of the Stereotype. Duh. As if we want to be bothered with slum-lord encumberances. No thanks. Your bed; not our's to lay in. No brag; word up. The Universe is a harsh mistress. Cruel, indeed. Your just a Swede. Sorry, dude. You may know yourself, but you obviously can't relate to us. If impotence transference is Sweden's best 'world-class' weapon of mass destruction, you're investing too much of yourselves in the hypothesis that the harder we laugh the less likely we are to do something in our best interest. Let me guess: you said the same thing about our chances against Iraq? Yes we can. The real question is, "Can Europe, or the UN?" Duh. Like yours? Liberal Arts major, right? Id-10t Error. We could be Swedish. But we're not. We're the largest single economy on the planet. We're also able to leverage other economies for our purposes. Of course, the whining power of Sweden is greater still. Is this where I am to bow? Um, yes. And I'm doing it while adroitly fending off Swedish spitballs. That's only because we haven't billed you for our cost to defend you from the Soviets, and all other comers, and for your reconstruction each time, for most of the last century. You've been playing with yourselves while we've been defending your sorry asses on our nickel. Please, invite our military and economic muscle to leave you alone and move back home. Please. Ah, no good deed goes unpunished. Thank you for making it really easy for us, in the future, to not seriously entertain risking our own lives and treasure to correct your next, self-induced, self-destructive melt-down. Fool us twice, shame on us... Hey, we're more than happy to spectate. No gain, no need to invest. Nothing to see here folks, everyone just move along.
Mr.G I am not a swede...but I digress. You Ad homs against the good people of Sweden have been noted.
sprafa, Why is it there's always an inbred cluelessly accusing someone else of their own inbreeding affliction? This already is a substantially diversity-free community. Why the need to drive away Independents? Because you can't tolerate even more voices in your head? Undecided, You're sporting Sweden's flag as your icon, and you're offering no clue of your nationality in your profile. My mother's mother was a Swede. Note whatever floats your boat. You're just another Cliffnote in the scheme of things.
Hmmm...a self hating Swede. Well since your "refutation" was basically an attack on Sweden and not the issue at hand. You can say sorry to the people of Sweden and half of yourself alone.
Hmm...yeah, my head is pretty full right now. It's booked for the next ... millenia, so yeah, it's pretty much full. Diversity-free...I'd call it informed... Most informed people have the same opinions on most things, because they actually know so much they base their opinions off it. So, yeah, you can call it diversity-free....
otheadp, Mandate is commonly used to described the masses. Congress, although voted by people, can not deliver such a mandate. It is obvious that this nation is divided on US foriegn policy. Domestic policy too. This is not a mandate for sweeping changes in the system. Failed attemps at social control of this administration include The Tips program(making masses of US route drivers unpaid informants) and the Cabinet level appointment of the Office of Truth(official spin room). There was no discussion on these topics to the voter. They were simply implemented(Thank God they failed)
Since when did Mr G speak for the USA? Is he secretly G W Bush? Moreover, since all he does is remind us that his personal axioms and assumptions are different from other peoples, how does that constitute a realistic argument for anything? (except perhaps the varieties of people on the planet that we should all be aware of anyway.)
Guthrie: Mr. G is an example of what happens when one has nothing left but egotism by which to measure their self-worth. It's tragic, but there's not much we can do about it. This is America; it's his right to choose to be this way.
