What hypocrites we must seem to the world. — frank
It isn't particularly American, unfortunately.Among the history buffs on the forum, is this sort of thing normal for nations to go through? Or is it something particularly American? — frank
Among the history buffs on the forum, is this sort of thing normal for nations to go through? Or is it something particularly American? — frank
Forced by circumstances, can the United States peacefully cede its role to the Chinese over the next few decades? Can it operate a sufficiently robust economy for 350,000,000 people without world economic domination? Or will we resist their expansion? — Bitter Crank
World Economic Domination isn't in the interests of most of The People, because the whole reason for going global is to find markets, cheap labor, and maximum profits. The benefits do not flow to the majority Working Class. The benefits flow to a small minority. On the other hand, we probably can't have a really good economy without selling abroad. — Bitter Crank
Globalism vs. isolationism isn't an abstract choice: It finds its concrete meaning in economics. How are we (the US) going to live? Maximize self-sufficiency? Go for a strong military profile or a modest one? Be everywhere, or just be in some places where we really have to be? — Bitter Crank
but we alredy know that that phrase is ideological newspeak for keep the world safe for our own economic expansion, which it did with a vengeance throughout the 20th century. — uncanni
It's when China builds naval bases in Mexico — ssu
Still I don't think it needs to end as badly for the US as with all other empires in history, because times are very different now. — ChatteringMonkey
I lean towards believing chances are fair-to-good that living conditions favorable for human life on this planet will be decimated before the imperial status quo crumbles. — staticphoton
It's not all that surprising... — ChatteringMonkey
Ideally, the natural evolution of culture would refine us all for the better. Cities would become better places to live, countries would prosper, and the world would be a better place. — Old Brian
A decade of bleeding with 8,000 U.S. dead, 40,000 wounded — frank
You're aware that the picture you're sharing here is literally fascist propaganda? — Echarmion
No I wasn't aware of that... But does it matter where it comes from? — ChatteringMonkey
Not in and of itself, but in this case it directly supports a view of history of cyclic, where "strength" and "weakness" are the governing factors, and where men need to be kept "strong" by rigid discipline and hardship. — Echarmion
Fascism aside, this seems like a pretty reasonable and accurate view of history to me. — Tzeentch
I think, on the face of, it doesn't imply that, there's nothing in the picture that says that that is the only contributing factor. And there's certainly nothing in the picture as far as I can tell that implies a certain kind of normative or political action (which is not to say that that wasn't the original intent).
I intended it purely descriptive, as I captures some element that I think is true of history... though I shouldn't have posted it on a philosophy forum, because ultimately it is a merely an oversimplification... and not all that clarifying really. — ChatteringMonkey
Fair enough. Since I know it's origins, I cannot really see what it would tell you if you didn't know it. I understand that viewing history as some kind of great cycle is appealing to many, though I don't think the facts actually support it. — Echarmion
Still I don't think it needs to end as badly for the US as with all other empires in history, because times are very different now. — ChatteringMonkey
No.That would be a strange thing to do. So you're saying the US can't step down from a role of continuous interference in the affairs of other nations which we justify because we think the people would really rather have some coca cola and stand in line voting for a puppet we installed? — frank
It's just illogical until you see who's benefiting from this arrangement. BC nailed it. Globalism means global domination and it's not really the USA that dominates. It's certain entities who've learned to use the USA as a tool. That will change as nations learn not to trust the USA, when they realize they need to look to Russia or China for their defense instead of the US. — frank
Besides, ideologically Europe, and a large part of the world for that matter, is much closer to the US than to China or Russia — ChatteringMonkey
They much rather have no guns in the hands of private citizens, — god must be atheist
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