by metatron 7 Replies latest jw friends
Just another example of this world power fading away. While the US desperately tries to start wars in Syria, Iran and the Ukraine, China ignores it all and keeps getting stronger. Sad to watch the end of an empire.
The citizens of countries such as Austria, Hungary and others have a better standard of living as individual nations rather than empires that waste resources on war and maintenance of the elite.
Oh, and Venice is having a vote on independence apparently.
metatron
Met,
You seem to make a habit out of making these types of over generalized definitive statements. There are so many things wrong with your comments they don't deserve my attention. You are correct about placing too much emphasis on guns rather than butter, but the U.S. is dropping military spending while still trying to maintain its role as the biggest kid with the biggest stick on the block. This is a very complicated subject for which your generalizations and mis-statements serve no purpose other than to draw attention to yourself.
You make a lot of good posts, but when you stray into an area for which you have little knowledge, such as this one, your blanket reactionary statements made with air air of assuredness leave me amused and annoyed. But maybe that is your objective, to throw some fuel on the fire and see what happens. I have better things to do on this one. But good luck.
The drop in military spending is minimal - with the US still having a bigger military than most of the world (or all?) combined. The US wastes more money on the F-35 fighter while China steals the plans and builds high speed rail.
You are free to point out exactly where I "have little knowledge" in this matter - but you have not done so. "They don't deserve my attention"? Really? And yet you then post anyway?
IMO, most people have become so accustomed to extreme or radical situations in the world at large, that they accept them as normal - such as the US having an elite class (major bankers) who are protected from prosecution or jail ( as exposed on Public TV's Frontline) or the sudden abundance of state legislatures NULLIFYING Federal laws on guns, hemp production, marijuana or the NDAA. And then there's the persistent talk about secession movements in Maryland, California, New York, Vermont, Colorado, or Texas.
Am I naive to think that the war in Iraq was an enormous waste of lives and treasure based on fraud? Does much of the US public now agree?
The end of an empire is a messy thing.
metatron
Yes the U.S. is sometimes wasteful. Do you really think the Soviets, Chinese, Brits and others are any less so? You do what so many ex-JWs (and people in general do). You read/research/focus on the few bits of data which appear to support your prejudiced, biased view and then you ignore everything else. That there is some validity to what you state doesn't mean there is any validity in the assumptions, generalizations and conclusions you draw from them. What are your bona-fides? I mean other than your prejudiced viewpoints? Do you have an advanced degree in business, economics? Have you worked in international finance, economics or business? Have you been involved in military intelligence and strategy? You make definitive statements about the end of the empire, which is clearly what you are hoping for, and attempt to support it with reactionary, sometimes hysterical 'conclusions.'
All wars can be deemed a huge waste of time, resources and human lives. But I agree with you on Iraq; I was one of the few people in this country who thought it a terrible idea. The other points you mention, hemp, bankers, gun laws, are screen clutter and background noise. They add nothing to this discussion; they are emotional, immature, reactionary. You can do better. I have seen.
This is a complicated topic. Do you think the Chinese, for what they have done well the past few decades, arent' facing some incredibly difficult times ahead of them, from the support they give their currency (it isn't being subjected to the same pressures as others and this is a potential HUGE deal), their environment, the forced displacement of millions for economic reasons, the increasing gap between the haves and the have nots that has the potential to dwarf such disparities elsewhere, and the MAC one: They work force is getting more sophisticated. They expect better conditions, higher wages and benefits and vacations. Very very soon they will not have the competitive advantage that such low wages gave them to get, in part, to this point.
Once it becomes economically non-feasible to bring this from China, we won't The world won't. Don't think for a sec that the Chinese aren't aware of this. Your reactionary comments remind me of those saying the same things about the Japanese miracle - until a couple of decades ago when it went into stall mode and stayed there. This is a complicated topic. Your over generalizatioins, hysterical reactionary comments do nothing for this argument. Your data simply supports your prejudged viewpoints. You can do better.
Yeah, clearly I'm the one who's "biased" and "hysterical"
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-russian-diplomacy-in-one-photo-2014-3
LOL
Can I post President Eisenhower's speech on the "unwarranted influence" of the "military-industrial complex" ? How about his speech about "humanity crucified" as the military takes away resources from those 'who need to be fed or clothed'?
metatron
*Thanks metatron for your thoughts
SW
NotNew,
Met's diatribe was emotional and reactionary. He took bits of data from here there and everywhere and made conclusive statements. I'd just as soon be trying to discuss with a chimp. I see you are holding his banana. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that I stated about his rantings that wasn't 100 percent true. If that offends then be offended. And support Met all you want; he makes some good points occasionally, just not this time. His rantings are all over the place and don't even beg for a rational discussion. Are we to discuss global military might, economic prowess, hemp, gun control, bad or really bad military decisions, a militaristic mindset or bankers? I can't really tell. You also leave me amused and annoyed. Now go hold Met's banana.
I don't really understand why we are in all the wars we are in lately but as for the high speed trains, I wouldn't set foot in one of those if it was built inside the USA. I would never feel safe. We are too concerned with profits over doing things right. Just look at the Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston. Not to mention we can't even keep our 1950s style trains on the tracks. It would never be profitable anyway, we love are cars too much.
