[quote]If any country tries to reverse the domestic politics of Scumeria it will find itself at war with the United States of America.
You see, you have described Saudi Arabia [except that it does support terrorists abroad but its internal opposition has been forced to be quiescent due to decades of absolute oppression.] It has a very special and protected relationship with the USA, particularly the Bush family. Our country will go to nearly any extreme to see that the House of Saud remains in power.

Now a question for you:

• What should the world do about a lone superpower which:
  1. Continues to pollute the planet at a rate that may well cause massive climate change
  2. Invades countries which pose no threat to it.
  3. Uses international monetary institutions to force poor countries to privatize their natural resources
  4. Has military installations in virtually every country in the world.
  5. Sponsors and supports dictatorships around the world while squelching democratic impulses in these places.
  6. Has the highest domestic incarceration rate of any country in the world.
  7. Imprisons minority populations in its country at far higher rates than that of the majority population.
  8. Has the highest average prison sentences of any of the world's countries.

Doesn't this country seem to be a bit paranoid?

Sounds a lot like china. ( Edit: Oh, apotropoxy beat me too it. saudi arabia is an even better comparison. I guess china doesn't have oil? but saudi arabia does support terrorists... also i'm not sure either country has rape rooms but i could be wrong. )

The only good reason for invading Scumeria would be to take their oil, but i'm not the type of person to support that. So, in my opinion, absolutely nothing should be done.

Furthermore I don't agree with nawbut that we should impose sanctions, other than the basic "don't trade them anything that can be remotely used as a weapon"

Jake, have you seen my thread about zimbabwe? Zimbabwe is NOT hypothetical, but I would be interested in hearing your opinion.

http://www.politicalforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=23173

You'd be amazed at how many countries there are in the world already that are worse off than this scumeria of yours. It's not our job to fix them.

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"The belief that nothing exists outside your own mind--surely there must be some way of demonstrating that it was false" - 1984

OK, I see what you mean. No use worrying yourself about great evil. Better to just grab a brewski and check out the game on TV.

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[quote="apotropoxy";p="327089"]

• Come back when you have proof.
  
  
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  2. Invades countries which pose no threat to it.

  Oh, like korea during the korean war?
  
  
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  3. Uses international monetary institutions to force poor countries to privatize their natural resources

  Credible citations, please.
  
  
  Quote:

  4. Has military installations in virtually every country in the world.

  When the rest of the democracies want to lend a hand in taking on dictatorships, we'll turm some over to them.
  
  
  Quote:

  5. Sponsors and supports dictatorships around the world while squelching democratic impulses in these places.

  BS.
  
  
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  6. Has the highest domestic incarceration rate of any country in the world.

  Lotsa criminals here.
  
  
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  7. Imprisons minority populations in its country at far higher rates than that of the majority population.

  Minorities commit most of the crime.
  
  
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  8. Has the highest average prison sentences of any of the world's countries.

Were not switzerland.

No, it's dealing with the real world.

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However "bloody" the coup was it was not within 7 orders of magnitude of the blood spilled by communists in the 20th century. The US purpose wasn't to set saddam on the path to power, but rather this was one skirmish in the worldwide battle against the soviets.

That's exactly correct - and within the context of the cold war, exactly what should have been done.

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"The ends justify the means" is basically what you're saying.

let me understand you correctly. I'm sure you believe that it was in our national interest to oppose the soviet union's interests. But is that the main reason, or is it because the soviet union was evil to it's own citizens?

The scumeria scenario that you have posted shows a country that is obviously not a threat to the united states. with the U.S.S.R. it's a different story.

Am i correct in assuming that you would oppose the U.S.S.R. even if it wasn't a threat, with the goal of bringing freedom to the entire earth?

Would you say that supporting a dictator to destroy a dictator, if you have the long term goal of destroying all dictatorship, is noble action, in otherwords do the ends justify the means? Or would prefering one dictator over another require some kind of national interest also?

I think this is why many foreigners dislike america, because we kill and maim and destroy and support those dictators who do the above, and all this in the name of lofty goals ideals which will never be realized and which should be described as propaganda.

If you want to argue that we have security reasons to go after specific dictatorships, i will listen, but it's not our job to be the world police force.

All other countries expect America to act in it's national interests. But instead, we invade countries, shouting at the top of our lungs, "Freedom! Liberation! This time we're not here to take your oil!" and then we are suprised when not even our allies believe us.

My belief is that if a country does not pose a threat to us we have absolutely no business attacking them, regardless of their system of government.

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"The belief that nothing exists outside your own mind--surely there must be some way of demonstrating that it was false" - 1984

• Virtually all climate scientists hold this opinion.
  
  Quote:

  Quote: 2. Invades countries which pose no threat to it. Oh, like korea during the korean war?

  Korea posed no threat to the USA. Vietnam posed no threat to the USA. Granada posed no threat to the USA.
  
  Quote:

  Quote: 3. Uses international monetary institutions to force poor countries to privatize their natural resources Credible citations, please.

  The policies of privatization of natural resources promulgated by the IMF and the World Bank have been long established. The chaos brought about by this ruthless form of Confiscatory Capitalism is also commonly understood. This is why so many Latin American countries are rejecting the model. Where have you been for the last thirty years?
  
  Quote:

  Quote: 4. Has military installations in virtually every country in the world. When the rest of the democracies want to lend a hand in taking on dictatorships, we'll turm some over to them.

  No country wants to take on these dictators because many of them are puppets of the USA government. To do so would be ruinous to them.
  
  Quote:

  Quote: 5. Sponsors and supports dictatorships around the world while squelching democratic impulses in these places. BS.

  History
  
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  Quote: 6. Has the highest domestic incarceration rate of any country in the world. Lotsa criminals here.

  Do you think that Americans are intrinsically more evil than those in other countries?
  
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  Quote: 7. Imprisons minority populations in its country at far higher rates than that of the majority population. Minorities commit most of the crime.

  Crimes are committed by those who have nothing else to lose.
  
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  Quote: 8. Has the highest average prison sentences of any of the world's countries.

True. The Swiss are a mature and civilized people.
Paranoids think they are dealing with the real world.

[quote]

• Sorry, argumentum ad verecundiam is not acceptable - I need proof.
  
  
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  Quote: Quote: 2. Invades countries which pose no threat to it. Oh, like korea during the korean war? Korea posed no threat to the USA. Vietnam posed no threat to the USA. Granada posed no threat to the USA.

  Oh, so you opppose the U.S. involvement in Korea? Just should have left the commies gobble it up, huh?
  
  
  Quote:

  Quote: Quote: 3. Uses international monetary institutions to force poor countries to privatize their natural resources Credible citations, please. The policies of privatization of natural resources promulgated by the IMF and the World Bank have been long established. The chaos brought about by this ruthless form of Confiscatory Capitalism is also commonly understood. This is why so many Latin American countries are rejecting the model. Where have you been for the last thirty years?

  Capitalists would laugh their asses off at you for calling such as the IMF and the World Bank "capitalism".
  
  
  Quote:

  Quote: Quote: 4. Has military installations in virtually every country in the world. When the rest of the democracies want to lend a hand in taking on dictatorships, we'll turm some over to them. No country wants to take on these dictators because many of them are puppets of the USA government. To do so would be ruinous to them.

  Yeah - North Korea, China, Syria, Iran, Zimbabwe - all U.S. puppets.
  
  
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  Quote: Quote: 5. Sponsors and supports dictatorships around the world while squelching democratic impulses in these places. BS. History

  Read it in a history book, not a leftwing blog or a michael moore movie.
  
  
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  Quote: Quote: 6. Has the highest domestic incarceration rate of any country in the world. Lotsa criminals here. Do you think that Americans are intrinsically more evil than those in other countries?

  "Evil"? Can you stay on topic?
  
  
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  Quote: Quote: 7. Imprisons minority populations in its country at far higher rates than that of the majority population. Minorities commit most of the crime. Crimes are committed by those who have nothing else to lose.

  That's BS - blacks in this country are privileged super-citizens.
  
  
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  Quote: Quote: 8. Has the highest average prison sentences of any of the world's countries.

Oh, is that why they've been the banker of choice for dictators? Why they refused jewish refugees during WWII? Why they handled looted nazi gold during WWII? Yaaaaa - real civilized.

But you're not.

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Apotropoxy, you are my new best friend.

Jake, be careful when you start asking people for proof to support their arguments. They might just turn around and ask YOU for some to support yours.

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins

I'll tell you what, young son - I SMELL proof.

The stench of it, is like ripe garbage on a fresh summer day in New York City.

PROOF?

Are you dreaming?

Your nostrils are closed, or what?

You go down to the docks, and that should be all the proof you need. If the ripe odor there escapes you, then there's nothing I can do to help you.

Proof... ha ha ha ....

You sound like one of those guys that wanted to hang Copernicus at the stake (or burn him alive, or whatever).

Ideological flatulence. Denial of reality. Cluelessness. Any More needs to be said? I don't think so - that's enough.