Is the US a warlike nation?

[Groove]

There was an interesting editorial in today's Sydney Morning Herald.

Here's part of it:

Warlike US will shed its Utopian view

By Peter Hartcher
May 28, 2004

The United States is a martial nation. It accounts for 5 per cent of the world's population, 20 per cent of the world economy, and fully 50 per cent of global defence spending. It is structured for war.

In the 228 years since it declared independence, the US has made 200 military interventions abroad, says the Congressional Research Service, an average of one every 14 months.

It has much less experience in introducing democracy than it does in waging war, incidentally. It has made 16 attempts, of which four have succeeded, says the Washington-based journal Foreign Policy.

The journal defines success as the survival of a functioning democratic system 10 years after the first US intervention. The success stories? Japan, Germany, Panama and Grenada.

Of the 43 presidents in the history of the US, about a quarter, 11 of them, have been former generals or military leaders. This is not a judgement but an observation: with this structure, this history, and this tradition of leadership, the US is a martial nation. And whoever is elected president on November 2, this is not going to change.

As a junior alliance partner of the US, Australia needs to understand this fundamental fact of America's national character. Australians think that our diet of American pop culture brings us a sound grasp of the inner mind and soul of the US. We think we are the same. This is misleading and will lead to surprises and shocks in the years to come.

Australia has a very different structure: 0.3 per cent of the world population, 1.5 per cent of the world economy and 1.2 per cent of global defence spending. Australia has a very different history and tradition, too; it never waged war for independence, was never at war with itself, has not sought to assert military dominance over any region, and has no experience of being led by generals.

You'll find the rest here:

http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/2...from=storylhs#

Discuss...

[bluedevil]

fuck yes it is

[sexsup]

I woudlnt say it's a warlike nation

[bluedevil]

our policy illicits aggression

[aaron]

yes i believe it is

[bluedevil]

sorry i worded that wrong...our foreign policy is a joke and results in deeper hatred toward us and at the same time raises aggression...look at this booshit with Israel...if i was president FIRST fuckin thing i do is say hey you're on your own...we're getting fucked cause we're helping you...

[Veterans Day]

ARS convention in this thread?

[Johny Traffic]

sorry i worded that wrong...our foreign policy is a joke and results in deeper hatred toward us and at the same time raises aggression...look at this booshit with Israel...if i was president FIRST fuckin thing i do is say hey you're on your own...we're getting fucked cause we're helping you...

Corrct, the whole of your foriegn policy is forged around getting the Jewish Florida vote, thats democracy for you

[TORTOISE]

The USA seems to think its the most important country in the world,so do most of its citizens......but for everyone outside the usa....most look at the usa as dumb people who cant look after thier own country let alone try to rule the world......


ps i like the usa ,that is what i seem to hear europe and canada citizens say

[EviLGuY]

Originally posted by Veterans Day
ARS convention in this thread?

Jealous?

.. and thats not surprising. I dont think anyone will accuse the Americans of being peaceloving.

They are like the neighbour that calls the cops on you when you party too loud.. and then when they do it and you call the cops on them you never hear the fucking end of it.

[TORTOISE]

quote///

ps i like the usa ,that is what i seem to hear europe and canada citizens say


i think i miss worded that.. i personally think the usa is ok to a degree ...but most europeans and canadadians i have met have a different view .

[Joe Citizen]

Of course it is.

Always has been always will be... until it self-destructs.

[Mishi]

I think it's like when the Vulcans and the Romulans parted ways.

Who, me, hiding in sci-fi geekdom? Never happens.

[marcu5]

Originally posted by Joe Citizen
Of course it is.

Always has been always will be... until it self-destructs.

Yep, and it seems like it's gonna be sooner rather than later.

[montel]

the US is also about freedom and gun ownership and doing god's duty!

many americans have no understanding of their own history and dont really care...

[reynold]

Surely you really didn't doubt otherwise?

[Mr. Marks]

Originally posted by TORTOISE
The USA seems to think its the most important country in the world,so do most of its citizens......but for everyone outside the usa....most look at the usa as dumb people who cant look after thier own country let alone try to rule the world......


ps i like the usa ,that is what i seem to hear europe and canada citizens say

Everybody just looks up to US for everything!

[wyldblyss]

I don't think Canada thinks the US is dumb. I live right on the border with them and half the time I think I'm more american than i am Canadian.

[Joe Citizen]

Originally posted by papichulo
Everybody just looks up to US for everything!

[Jill_J]

nation? no! war is money and politic is money too - people who are interested in this a really very rich ones. What`s the percentage of rich people in US? 10%? So, here they are - warlike people but not all of them, I hope