America, damned if we do, damned if we don't

by Adam 58 Replies latest social current

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  Adam

  I'm sure you've all heard about that woman who narrowly avoided being stoned to death in Nigeria. Stoned to death? Why didn't they just burn her at the stake? Or wait, they should have put her on the rack and stretched her 'till she confessed. Or wait, they could just cut out her womanly parts as punnishment for the crime of sex. Or wait, they should have gutted some animal, looked at the guts, and determined what god wanted them to do with her.

  Yet another stone-age country that is a human rights nighmare. There is a lot of them. Most agree that something should be done about gross human rights violations in these countries. Most agree that the US should contribute in addressing the issue because of our wealth and military power.

  What to do about these countries that have fallen behind the rest of civilization? Drag them kicking and screaming into the new world and we're being hegemonists, imperialists, or are on a mission to take over the world. Leave them to their own devices and we're arrogantly ignoring those less fortunate. We're not doing enough to help developing countries, as is our duty being the richest nation in the world.
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  Yerusalyim

  Adam,

  You'll not get far on this board if your posts keep making sense.
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  Reborn2002

  Drag them kicking and screaming into the new world and we're being hegemonists, imperialists, or are on a mission to take over the world. Leave them to their own devices and we're arrogantly ignoring those less fortunate. We're not doing enough to help developing countries, as is our duty being the richest nation in the world.

  For once I agree with Yeru. Your post does make sense, and I agree with your above statement.
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  Yerusalyim

  Reborn,

  This is happening far to often for me to feel comfortable with it....damnit, STOP AGREEING WITH ME....it upsets the balance of the universe...

  I like the way you've been coming around to my way of thinking.

  Seriously though...almost everyone can find common ground if they try.
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  wednesday

  yes Adam, the USA is a great country and despite some problems, cares about the rest of the world. Who else has said"were not going to take it anymore" to the terrorists? Who is there with loans gifts resources, people. ? No one but the USA. If we help, we are pushing our values on them. If we do not, we are leaving them to rot, and only care for ourself.

  an american who salutes the flag what it stands for.

  weds
• 

  Reborn2002

  Well as I attempted to state a long time ago, I try very hard to be fair and balanced, and consider myself a moderate.

  I do agree that the United States of America is damned if it does act, and damned if it does not. Adam provided an excellent example of this in his initial post on this thread. If the United States acts to remove a tyrannical dictatorship and aid in establishing peace in a region, then it is portrayed as the evil Imperialist and the arrogant swashbuckling superpower wielding it's military might simply because it can. On the same token, if the United States does not act, then it is viewed as indifferent to the plights of less fortunate countries.

  Do not be mistaken Yeru, I was and still am against the Iraq war, if only because I believe George W. Bush waged it based upon a premise which was false. His administrations' verbal backtracking in recent months only supports that stance. However I DO believe that removing Saddam Hussein from power was a good thing. He was an evil man and the Iraqi citizens as a whole are thankful for the action which took place. It is a complicated circumstance no matter how you view it, but I do believe that the US government should be more concerned with the economy and citizens HERE on this soil than being preoccupied with pushing legislation for 87 BILLION on top of a previous 76 BILLION and 4 BILLION a month for funding the rebuilding of other nations while employment and the economy drags here. So in a sense, I do agree with you on many aspects, and in some points, I strongly disagree. You are right though that it seems we have found some common ground.
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  DanTheMan

  What to do about these countries that have fallen behind the rest of civilization? Drag them kicking and screaming into the new world and we're being hegemonists, imperialists, or are on a mission to take over the world. Leave them to their own devices and we're arrogantly ignoring those less fortunate. We're not doing enough to help developing countries, as is our duty being the richest nation in the world.

  It's unfortunate that so many countries have fallen under the spell of rabid Islamic moral absolutism. I think it will take every bit of strength the West has to prevent this scourge from bringing down the curtain on modernity and taking us back to the Stone age. But I guess an alternative view is that the West vs. Islam clash is an example of the never-ending dialectic. Maybe we're too far one way and they're too far the other.

  I'll never forget the picture that appeared in the "Insight" section of the Sunday paper following 9/11. It depicted several Afganistanish (?) women, wearing Burkas of course, going about their daily business. They were in a public area, and plastered on the building behind them was a gigantic Victoria's Secret advertisement featuring a lingerie clad model. Send a big thank you letter to Victorias Secret for propagandizing western culture in places where it clearly is not welcome.

  Somebody give me some hope man!
• 

  JT

  when i think of america i think of WT-

  i think it is very important not to CONFUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WITH the "Gov"

  sorta like confusing the avg jw, sister old or sister single parent with the Society

  the same as the avg jw has very little if anything to do with Policy, the avg Citizen here in america has very little to do with the Actual making of "Policy"

  i have been in congressmen offices here in DC and there are 4 or 5-- 22 year old intern kids drafting BILLS FOR CONGRESS

  I have been in Lobbist officees working on their network and just "So happen to see" WINK WINK

  CERTAIN A documents that they are going to send to congress that will be voted on, no american citizen issues but major corp issues being drafted up by lobbying firms and given to their favorite congressmen and off it goes and you and I pay for it

  it is a well known fact that american will dig in thier pocket in the minute and give up the cash from, out in front of Pigley Wigley to help out the fire dept get that new pump truck to the country music guys doing farm aid or a few years back the song artist who got together for we are the world

  the "amercian" people have a long history of helping out folks,

  sometimes i just look thru the [phone book here in DC at all the Charities here and i mean ones that rake in millions of dollors

  o yea bucks get wasted, but yet there was an american who gave the money-

  sorta like in wt i look back at the avg jw i know they young kids who have no idea why they are made to stand out in hall and be laughed at in school to the old friends who are told they will be young like George Hamilton again, smile

  so may we never confuse "americans" with "America"

  smile
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  heathen

  I don't know what the US could really do at this time since the nation is facing another huge debt .From what I understand everytime the US lends a helping hand they get a slap in the face anyway .I think it's past time for the US to focus on domestic issues , it's what we pay the government to do anyway to run our country and provide a decent liveable environment for americans .
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  Yerusalyim

  Reborn,

  I don't see the government backtracking...Bush, in his speech to the UN never said Imminent Danger...he used UN figures for estimated WMD...etc etc etc...anyhow...something MORE important to me...the 87 Billion.

  Of that money 67 Billion is for Soldiers...20 bil for rebuilding Iraq. If we don't rebuild Iraq every single American Soldier and every single Iraqi civilian died in vain...the terrorists will win. We MUST rebuild Iraq!

  There's a LOT of catch up to do too. Saddam let the infrastructure of Iraq go while building 11 Palaces, all aided by the UN. More in another thread...but read the above with an open mind...if we do not rebuild Iraq the Terrorists will win over there...and the almost 300 soldiers that died...will have died in vain.