What if we removed the military?

Re: Howard

Originally posted by Bebelina
I feel sorry that the only reply you come up with was to call med dum.... :rolleyes:

I hope that you don't take all this seriously? You know that because the Internet provides a certain amount of anomynity, (a lot if you fake everything!), some people will be a little more outrageous than normal. Also, if you are not aware most people use "nomes de plume or cybernames", not their real names, so that you can put on a new persona, a facade, a mask. This forum has many types of people, remember that the Internet is supposed to be a forum of ideas, etc.., people in the US have our own ideas on how to converse on the Internet, that may not feel right to a Swede or others. Share your thoughts & ideas, don't let people SHOUT to you, you control your responses or whether you even need to.:D
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Re: War of 1812

Originally posted by Captain Canada
Americans never like to be reminded of this one. I believe you'll find that the 'War Hawks' of 1810 in Congress urged an expansionist US government, always coveting Canada, to declare war on England. Ten US armies invaded. Ten US armies got an ass-whooping. Washington burned. Haven't tried it again have you?
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I guess, if you read Captain Canada's & thecurly1's posts, you'll see that depending on what side of the coin you're looking at, you see something entirely different!;)

If we wanted to be a part of an expansionist, neo-Imperialist country run by southern lawyers in love with slavery, we would have mentioned it. We didn't. You tried force. You lost. Let that be a lesson to you.
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Under similar circumstances, Mexico lost. :(
 
True Randolfo

Mexicans weren't as lucky. Nor the Cubans. Nor, of course, the native Americans and Canadians.

That we can still get a debate going over the war of 1812 is quite rediculous. Can't the US allow us our little bit of pride that in the one war we fought with them we won (well, the British really)?

I know how much defeat irks the US, but really, you should be getting used to it by now. And the moral question - Britain is a major culprit, but then the US has more recent, and ongoing, examples.

I can hear the response already. USA, USA, USA!

Do you have any idea how idiotic that chant appears in the 'outside world'?
 
The UK Didn't Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Britian or the US never won the War of 1812, no one the war. May I once again site Encarta:


The principal gain for the United States was a renewed self-confidence and faith in the ability of its military to defend the nation's freedom and honor. Although neither side came away from the war with a clear-cut victory, the American people saw the War of 1812 as evidence of the success of the democratic experiment. The war ushered in a period of American history that has frequently been called "the era of good feeling," a time when, at least on the surface, most Americans felt unified behind a common purpose. The War of 1812 convinced the country that it could now fend off any foreign threats and that its focus should be on expansion at home.

"War of 1812," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2000. © 1993-1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

We've defeated Britian in every war and tied you guys in the War of 1812.

P.S. Looks like we may have to go back to Iraq, there's a link in World Affairs & Politics.
 
OK, I think we could agree that Canada won the battle. Remembing that wars are made up of battles.

I had never heard of the war of 1812 until I had just read it. Is this taught in US schools. I know that Japan doesn't teach their school children about Japans role in WWII. The government even checks each text book before allowing that text book be taught at schools.
 
Yes it's taught in the US.

I was taught about the War of 1812, in eighth grade American History. Though it wasn't a lengthy chapter, there was no victor it just explained what happened, and a little about the Battle of New Orleanes.

No one won the war, Britian, US, or Canada. Nobody lost or gained anything from it, other than lives.

Are you sure that Japan doesn't teach it's children about WWII? I think they'd have to, it's such a big part of history, their's and the world's.
 
Are you sure that Japan doesn't teach it's children about WWII? I think they'd have to, it's such a big part of history, their's and the world's.
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Yep, one of my old teachers is married to a japanese women and he told us that. Also, did you know that if you are half Japanese you can't attend their public schools. A friend of out familys' son's children had to come back to Australia so as their children could receive an education. And they have the decency to make out that we are racist. You will always find that the UN is more stricter with the US, Australia and the UK in regard to human rights. But will let others off the hook.
 
Thats horrible.

I hope you are missinformed but you probably aren't.

Thats not good for the Japaneese or anyone else.
 
Jez,

I’ve thought of this many times over the years but have never voiced my opinions.

My reasoning relies on being able to offer such a valuable service that no one would take the risk of destroying it.

For example: If the USA completely switched all its considerable funding to medical research and offered the rest of the world the most advanced medical services and cures ever imagined, would anyone risk destroying or being barred from receiving such a service?

Cris
 
YES

This is a utopian dream.

Do you think the people of the United States, when sitting at home really care about people in other countries? Most of them don't. If there was a magic pill that made everyone super healthy and could be produced for a reasonable cost then the drug companies would control it, not the government.

What would the reaction be to give this to the people of Iraq, Lybia, or even the Chinese. Who are practically enemies of the US. That would only further the political power of the parties in place, because there would be no reason to lash out against human conditions in these countries.

Humans are greedy, they will kill, rape, and pillage if it means gathering more citizens, wealth, and land.

The reason we never had a MAJOR war after 1945 is because nuclear weapons made sure that no first world country would fight against another because each would be annihalated.

Nuclear bombs and a military make for peace believe it or not.
 
Pity,

One day I hope mankind will rise above the petty squables that currently infect the world.

Think of the billions that are spent on armament and how much good could be done with the money and the lack of distraction.

Sigh! I offer no apologies for dreaming in that direction.

Cris
 
To put it simply in the US a few billion dollars is a drop in the pot compared to what the entire country spends on programs.
 
Yes you are right curly, americans are incredibly inneficient nd wasteful.
 
That too may one day change. Necessity is the mother of invention. While as of yet Americans do not see the need of conservation there are signs that it's head is beginning to pick up and look around.
 
This country accels at burning away money on stupid shit, and we're still richer than everyone else.

Didn't it seem a bit odd when they were talking about a one TRILLION dollar tax cut.

I mean a billion dollars is a lot to me, and a TRILLION is mind boggiling. Its hilarious when we can give more money back to our people, than the GDP of most of the world's countries.

THINK ABOUT IT.
 
Originally posted by wet1
Every journey starts with a single step.
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My favorite Chinese quote; "A journey of a thousand miles, begins with one step"

Unfortunately, this step needs about a billion people to start thinking that way. You would think that after thousands of years and millions of lives lost, people would say,"ENOUGH!!!"
I think that people are smart enough to figure out that wars don't solve anything, that they just create new sets of victims with a past history and vengeance on their minds!!!
That's why, at least for the foreseeable future, we need a strong & technologically modern military.
 
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A Peace of War

I agree with Wet1 - to have peace you must be prepared for war. Without an incumbent military force - anarchy reigns. Take my own country for example - England. A Part of the United Kingdom which is in turn, part of the British Isles. What do you think would have happened to us if we did not have a military force to counter terrorism? Don't give me that political arguement spread about the USA about us "occupying" Ulster either. Ulster is as much a part of the United Kingdom as England - and they voted by over 90% in 1972 to remain that way. The Loyalist element of Northern Ireland were causing trouble with the Nationalist element so the British Army went in to protect the Nationalists (yes really!!!) Then the Nationalist's (PIRA which was almost extinct) took it as an excuse to turn on the soldiers. Little boys with big guns is how I describe the gunmen. Make Peace not War - But be ready for war! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
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