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Post by jdredd on Dec 7, 2010 13:59:00 GMT -5
Now this is a really fun, but long, article. I haven't been able to read all of it yet, but I thought I'd share it with you now: www.thenation.com/article/156851/decline-and-fall-american-empire"Future historians are likely to identify the Bush administration’s rash invasion of Iraq in that year as the start of America's downfall." "Counterintuitively, as their power wanes, empires often plunge into ill-advised military misadventures. This phenomenon is known among historians of empire as “micro-militarism” and seems to involve psychologically compensatory efforts to salve the sting of retreat or defeat by occupying new territories, however briefly and catastrophically. These operations, irrational even from an imperial point of view, often yield hemorrhaging expenditures or humiliating defeats that only accelerate the loss of power."
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Post by Jack on Dec 7, 2010 18:33:20 GMT -5
Now this is a really fun, but long, article. I haven't been able to read all of it yet, but I thought I'd share it with you now: www.thenation.com/article/156851/decline-and-fall-american-empire"Future historians are likely to identify the Bush administration’s rash invasion of Iraq in that year as the start of America's downfall." "Counterintuitively, as their power wanes, empires often plunge into ill-advised military misadventures. This phenomenon is known among historians of empire as “micro-militarism” and seems to involve psychologically compensatory efforts to salve the sting of retreat or defeat by occupying new territories, however briefly and catastrophically. These operations, irrational even from an imperial point of view, often yield hemorrhaging expenditures or humiliating defeats that only accelerate the loss of power." Fun? It's fun to read commentary predicting the "demoralizing" collapse of our society and the ultimate demise of our country's status in the world? Go back under your rock - you're stinking the place up.
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Post by Turk on Dec 7, 2010 20:25:57 GMT -5
Now this is a really fun, but long, article. I haven't been able to read all of it yet, but I thought I'd share it with you now: www.thenation.com/article/156851/decline-and-fall-american-empire"Future historians are likely to identify the Bush administration’s rash invasion of Iraq in that year as the start of America's downfall." "Counterintuitively, as their power wanes, empires often plunge into ill-advised military misadventures. This phenomenon is known among historians of empire as “micro-militarism” and seems to involve psychologically compensatory efforts to salve the sting of retreat or defeat by occupying new territories, however briefly and catastrophically. These operations, irrational even from an imperial point of view, often yield hemorrhaging expenditures or humiliating defeats that only accelerate the loss of power." Calling the article fun is a little sick if ya ask me but you do like to push buttons. I understand why you like the low-life, slime-ball, scum-bag Alfred W. McCoy, he’s an anti CIA guy. What you, your ilk and clownish fools like McCoy don’t understand there will be a revolution first, ridding the nation of socialist scum, but I’ll wait to tell ya what I really think after the ladies take their turn. Bang, bang. If there is a revolution I sure the hell hope it happens in my lifetime, I’d love to take out an enemy of MY country. McCoy has been mostly wrong in his writings.
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Post by animal on Dec 7, 2010 21:15:49 GMT -5
We are inventorying rounds in AZ.... I think its coming.
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Post by jdredd on Dec 7, 2010 21:36:01 GMT -5
Now this is a really fun, but long, article. I haven't been able to read all of it yet, but I thought I'd share it with you now: www.thenation.com/article/156851/decline-and-fall-american-empire"Future historians are likely to identify the Bush administration’s rash invasion of Iraq in that year as the start of America's downfall." "Counterintuitively, as their power wanes, empires often plunge into ill-advised military misadventures. This phenomenon is known among historians of empire as “micro-militarism” and seems to involve psychologically compensatory efforts to salve the sting of retreat or defeat by occupying new territories, however briefly and catastrophically. These operations, irrational even from an imperial point of view, often yield hemorrhaging expenditures or humiliating defeats that only accelerate the loss of power." Calling the article fun is a little sick if ya ask me but you do like to push buttons. I understand why you like the low-life, slime-ball, scum-bag Alfred W. McCoy, he’s an anti CIA guy. What you, your ilk and clownish fools like McCoy don’t understand there will be a revolution first, ridding the nation of socialist scum, but I’ll wait to tell ya what I really think after the ladies take their turn. Bang, bang. If there is a revolution I sure the hell hope it happens in my lifetime, I’d love to take out an enemy of MY country. McCoy has been mostly wrong in his writings. It was "fun" only in that the guy was pulling wild-ass predictions out of his ass IMO. I post articles I think might generate conversation whether I agree or disagree with them. But he brushes on some points already made in this thread. Heck, I thought some of you guys might like this article for it's wake-up call aspect. I agree with him on some things, like that Bush's invasions helped hasten our decline. But contrary to my reputation, I am optimistic we can reverse our decline if we start thinking with our brains and not our trigger fingers.
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Post by animal on Dec 7, 2010 21:40:01 GMT -5
I hope it never comes to a shoot out with anyone, but IF it does, it feels great to know I/we are ready. Looking at history, other countries going thru the issues we have ended up with a huge shootout, or should have.
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Post by Turk on Dec 7, 2010 21:42:25 GMT -5
Calling the article fun is a little sick if ya ask me but you do like to push buttons. I understand why you like the low-life, slime-ball, scum-bag Alfred W. McCoy, he’s an anti CIA guy. What you, your ilk and clownish fools like McCoy don’t understand there will be a revolution first, ridding the nation of socialist scum, but I’ll wait to tell ya what I really think after the ladies take their turn. Bang, bang. If there is a revolution I sure the hell hope it happens in my lifetime, I’d love to take out an enemy of MY country. McCoy has been mostly wrong in his writings. It was "fun" only in that the guy was pulling wild-ass predictions out of his ass IMO. I post articles I think might generate conversation whether I agree or disagree with them. But he brushes on some points already made in this thread. Heck, I thought some of you guys might like this article for it's wake-up call aspect. I agree with him on some things, like that Bush's invasions helped hasten our decline. But contrary to my reputation, I am optimistic we can reverse our decline if we start thinking with our brains and not our trigger fingers. I’ll admit I judge you’re posts from a bias. It might help to understand your motives, I don’t know, maybe I’m blowing smoke but there are times where’s there a glimmer of communication.
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Post by jdredd on Dec 7, 2010 21:43:51 GMT -5
Now this is a really fun, but long, article. I haven't been able to read all of it yet, but I thought I'd share it with you now: www.thenation.com/article/156851/decline-and-fall-american-empire"Future historians are likely to identify the Bush administration’s rash invasion of Iraq in that year as the start of America's downfall." "Counterintuitively, as their power wanes, empires often plunge into ill-advised military misadventures. This phenomenon is known among historians of empire as “micro-militarism” and seems to involve psychologically compensatory efforts to salve the sting of retreat or defeat by occupying new territories, however briefly and catastrophically. These operations, irrational even from an imperial point of view, often yield hemorrhaging expenditures or humiliating defeats that only accelerate the loss of power." Calling the article fun is a little sick if ya ask me but you do like to push buttons. I understand why you like the low-life, slime-ball, scum-bag Alfred W. McCoy, he’s an anti CIA guy. What you, your ilk and clownish fools like McCoy don’t understand there will be a revolution first, ridding the nation of socialist scum, but I’ll wait to tell ya what I really think after the ladies take their turn. Bang, bang. If there is a revolution I sure the hell hope it happens in my lifetime, I’d love to take out an enemy of MY country. McCoy has been mostly wrong in his writings. As for your anti-"socialist" "revolution", all I gotta say is if it happened, America would go into an irreversible decline IMO. Not that I would care at that point since I would be one of the first ones you'd have to put in front of a firing squad.
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Post by Turk on Dec 7, 2010 21:50:57 GMT -5
As for your anti-"socialist" "revolution", all I gotta say is if it happened, America would go into an irreversible decline IMO. Not that I would care at that point since I would be one of the first ones you'd have to put in front of a firing squad. No one wants to see violence what I think the point is the spirit that made this country lives in the heart of millions.
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Post by jdredd on Dec 7, 2010 21:57:58 GMT -5
It was "fun" only in that the guy was pulling wild-ass predictions out of his ass IMO. I post articles I think might generate conversation whether I agree or disagree with them. But he brushes on some points already made in this thread. Heck, I thought some of you guys might like this article for it's wake-up call aspect. I agree with him on some things, like that Bush's invasions helped hasten our decline. But contrary to my reputation, I am optimistic we can reverse our decline if we start thinking with our brains and not our trigger fingers. I’ll admit I judge you’re posts from a bias. It might help to understand your motives, I don’t know, maybe I’m blowing smoke but there are times where’s there a glimmer of communication. Well, that's what I'm here for, to try to get some understanding of the other side. And I've found good and bad. I won't tell you what the good is, I don't want any of you to get swollen heads. Nor will I tell the bad, I'm already in deep yogurt in here...
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Post by animal on Dec 7, 2010 22:17:10 GMT -5
I just dont have much time in my life for those I perceive as haters, from either side of the isle... so I skim and move on. Nothing personal usually, I just prefer to fill my head with solutions and moving forward.
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Post by EscapeHatch on Dec 8, 2010 9:06:28 GMT -5
JD, I think I got the reason you posted the The Nation article. I had little problem with the posting. I do wish you at least hinted at your motive when you posted it. No matter.
This thread has become much more interesting, all in all.
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Post by jdredd on Dec 9, 2010 3:31:07 GMT -5
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11955516"He argues that China is not seen in Washington as a military or security threat at the moment. But he says there are, what he calls "tripwires" in Africa for the US when it comes to China. "Have they signed military base agreements? Are they training armies? Have they developed intelligence operations? Once these areas start developing then the US will start worrying," he says. "The United States will continue to push democracy and capitalism while Chinese authoritarian capitalism is politically challenging."
Is "authoritarian capitalism" kicking the ass of democratic capitalism?
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Post by Tired in CV on Dec 9, 2010 5:53:37 GMT -5
"The United States will continue to push democracy and capitalism while Chinese authoritarian capitalism is politically challenging."
Is "authoritarian capitalism" kicking the ass of democratic capitalism?"Authoritarian capitalism" is all about the worst of the big corporations that you complain about except they are ran or directly overseen by the government! No unions and a lot of big sticks!
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Post by EscapeHatch on Dec 9, 2010 19:31:07 GMT -5
... Is "authoritarian capitalism" kicking the ass of democratic capitalism? [/color][/quote] A better question might be "Is authoritarian capitalism biting the ass that feeds it?" We encouraged the reforms and progress we are seeing in China today. We gave them a map, patted them on the butt, and said have at it, we will have a great trading relationship. Sounds familiar to me for some reason....
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