[bodigami]

including environmental costss, 'nuff said.

[Fishman]

Unfortunately, not Medicaid, not Medicare, not business welfare, not California.......
But we keep spending!!!

[Gorm]

Well, not that Im american, but medicaid/medicare seems a lot more important than war.

[Roy]

Our soldiers are defending our freedom!

We have to fight them over there so we won't have to fight them here.

We are liberating oppressed people.

We broke those countries now we have to fix them.

9-11!!!

Why do you hate America?

********************************************************

That about sum up the general public's opinion on the US foreign policy? Yep.

I agree with you Bodigami. Wars are always inflationary. What kind of friggin' moron cuts taxes while increasing government spending dramatically and engages in two wars? Oh yeah that's right, Bush. And the Republican controlled congress. With strong approval from their constituency at that.

In 2006 I thought to myself " maybe something will change now that the Dems have the majority in Congress?". Nah.

In 2008, some or many gullible voters (who didn't have time to actually look at his campaign website) believed Obama to be an anti-war candidate. The ones I confronted with his actual policies told me I was misinterpreting the data and that my candidate, Paul, was a kook and a racist.

The War Party is strong and over 90% of those who voted in the last election chose war.

They laughed the anti-war candidates Dennis Kucinich(sp) and Ron Paul off the stage.

What kind of loon doesn't want to defend freedom (endless war), they said. The terrorists will be on your street raping your daughter after they cut your head off with their long funny knives if we pull our troops out, they said!

Paul and Kucinich were considered un-electable and loony because they actually favored peace and the Constistution. We liked the handsome Man-God Romney, the Baptist minister Huckabee, the sellout to anybody for the right price Clinton, the corrupt Admiral's son-'war hero' McCain and the manufactured savior Obama.

That's America baby! We like the sizzle not the substance.

We, as a nation, deserve what we are no doubt going to get. It's not a question of if, but when IMHO FWIW.

I regret it and I do not believe the American government is doing what it should.

Unfortunately all Americans will do pennance for those sins, just as all Germans paid for the sins of the Nazis whether they supported their government or not.

Cheers.

[Gorm]

well, As a contrast, Sweden has not been at war since 1812 (plus/minus a year or two). And, my primary objection to war is not the economic cost in any way.

[Fishman]

Gorm
M and M is more important, but it actually cost far more than the war. We're broke all over, since you're not from America, got any CHANGE?

[WyoDutch]

America has a love affair with war. Any hour of the day, the media is propagandizing with everything from the D-Day landings to PFC Herman Hero kicking down the door of a mud hut somewhere in the third world. America can afford this love affair because it comes at no risk to the average sofa spud. (My nearest neighbors are perfect examples. During the attacks on Baghdad in the opening days of our glorious campaign to rid Iraq of WMDs, my neighbors breathlessly exclaimed about how they "... love to watch the war on tv"... but they were so relieved that "their son was on a (Mormon) mission to Canada and not involved in the fighting.")
.
If we had any national backbone... we'd enact some risk-sharing. As soon as any American troop is in a combat situation for 30 days, a 10% war surtax, with a $2,000 minimum, kicks in. At the same time, universal military service (women included) goes into effect. No exclusions, no deferments. If little Johnny or Joanie has to pick up cigarette butts for 2 years... Well, that's the cost of "freedom".
.
Yep... just ask the average American to participate in our perpetual wars and there will be a stampede for the exit strategies.

[JJ]

Our soldiers are defending our freedom!

We have to fight them over there so we won't have to fight them here.

We are liberating oppressed people.

We broke those countries now we have to fix them.

9-11!!!

Why do you hate America?

********************************************************

That about sum up the general public's opinion on the US foreign policy? Yep.

I agree with you Bodigami. Wars are always inflationary. What kind of friggin' moron cuts taxes while increasing government spending dramatically and engages in two wars? Oh yeah that's right, Bush. And the Republican controlled congress. With strong approval from their constituency at that.

In 2006 I thought to myself " maybe something will change now that the Dems have the majority in Congress?". Nah.

In 2008, some or many gullible voters (who didn't have time to actually look at his campaign website) believed Obama to be an anti-war candidate. The ones I confronted with his actual policies told me I was misinterpreting the data and that my candidate, Paul, was a kook and a racist.

The War Party is strong and over 90% of those who voted in the last election chose war.

They laughed the anti-war candidates Dennis Kucinich(sp) and Ron Paul off the stage.

What kind of loon doesn't want to defend freedom (endless war), they said. The terrorists will be on your street raping your daughter after they cut your head off with their long funny knives if we pull our troops out, they said!

Paul and Kucinich were considered un-electable and loony because they actually favored peace and the Constistution. We liked the handsome Man-God Romney, the Baptist minister Huckabee, the sellout to anybody for the right price Clinton, the corrupt Admiral's son-'war hero' McCain and the manufactured savior Obama.

That's America baby! We like the sizzle not the substance.

We, as a nation, deserve what we are no doubt going to get. It's not a question of if, but when IMHO FWIW.

I regret it and I do not believe the American government is doing what it should.

Unfortunately all Americans will do pennance for those sins, just as all Germans paid for the sins of the Nazis whether they supported their government or not.

Cheers.

well, you got the Repubs, what have the Dems done differently since the election?

[Caffeine]

Remember, the majority of Americans are utterly brainwashed by the TV set, and by the handful of corporations that control the programming on that TV set.

[AgentR]

THIS IS SPARTA!

[ian807]

THIS IS SPARTA!

Nonsense. While their culture is nothing I'd want to emulate, the Spartans were *tough* physically and mentally. I suggest you review what growing up in Sparta was like (Hint. Kids were put out into the wilderness to fend for themselves before adolescence. An analysis of female Spartan bone structure showed it identical to the males due to physical training.)

Americans have been hypnotized by the media. Most have all the spine of the jellyfish which so many of them have come to resemble. They'll believe or do whatever the sacred TV tells them.

Until there is no more TV, or internet, or perhaps even nonlocal newspapers.

Cheers!

[AgentR]

I was making fun of both the movie, America, and the thread topic.
It's supposed to be nonsense.

[PrestonSturges]

THIS IS SPARTA!

We are a nation of flabby mall shoppers.

And the people yelling about the deficit now are the one who yelled "War! Hell yes!" the loudest.

[AgentR]

THIS IS SPARTA!

We are a nation of flabby mall shoppers.

And the people yelling about the deficit now are the one who yelled "War! Hell yes!" the loudest.

Exactly my point.

[AgentR]

For the humor impaired..

Visualize if you will...

Mr. Joe Spiffy Business, lifts his noon day martini high and yells, "THIS IS SPARTA!"

Jane Uptight throws the soccer ball out onto the no-tackle, no score keeping field and yellls, "THIS IS SPARTA!"

Doug Retiree, mopeds his way to the couch from the kitchen, carrying his bear and chips for an afternoon of foxnews and cspan; he lifts his can and croaks, "THIS IS SPARTA!"

[jedrider]

Let's have a numerical value for the 'cost of war': $2 Trillion just for Iraq. Afghanistan is not included nor anywhere close to being finished. Could that be $1 Trillion??

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/01/08/economists_say_cost_of_war_could_top_2_trillion/

[Serial_Worrier]

America has a love affair with war. Any hour of the day, the media is propagandizing with everything from the D-Day landings to PFC Herman Hero kicking down the door of a mud hut somewhere in the third world. America can afford this love affair because it comes at no risk to the average sofa spud. (My nearest neighbors are perfect examples. During the attacks on Baghdad in the opening days of our glorious campaign to rid Iraq of WMDs, my neighbors breathlessly exclaimed about how they "... love to watch the war on tv"... but they were so relieved that "their son was on a (Mormon) mission to Canada and not involved in the fighting.")
.
If we had any national backbone... we'd enact some risk-sharing. As soon as any American troop is in a combat situation for 30 days, a 10% war surtax, with a $2,000 minimum, kicks in. At the same time, universal military service (women included) goes into effect. No exclusions, no deferments. If little Johnny or Joanie has to pick up cigarette butts for 2 years... Well, that's the cost of "freedom".
.
Yep... just ask the average American to participate in our perpetual wars and there will be a stampede for the exit strategies.

Average sofa spud will die of an early heart attack, so you have nothing to worry about. Americans are literally eating themselves to death!

[pablonite]

Yep... just ask the average American to participate in our perpetual wars and there will be a stampede for the exit strategies.

Sure but this is the business of war and America was built for it, run by international bankers who back both sides of every conflict and have their politicans and media unleash weapons of mass distraction.

When you market "The Army" at home like a 5 star hotel, play with the latest toys, earn an "education" and get paid the idea of conscription seems quaint. It may seem like the life for a poor, uneducated kid from the ghettos and America has produced no shortage of those, the reality if obviously quite different but this is the power of marketing war, another science in itself.

Ironic when you consider this big pile of bullshit can be turned around and sold to the "average American" you speak of for a profit!

Just wait until all these chickens come home to roost when martial law is declared
They are going to have some serious issues with the average American who has no idea what "reality" is.

BTW, the title of this post is an oxymoron. You need to recognize when you are part of an empire!

[bodigami]

Gorm
M and M is more important, but it actually cost far more than the war. We're broke all over, since you're not from America, got any CHANGE?

I'm from America, but gladly not from U$A. proud Costarrican (moving to Italy 'tough)

[bodigami]

THIS IS SPARTA!

Nonsense. While their culture is nothing I'd want to emulate, the Spartans were *tough* physically and mentally. I suggest you review what growing up in Sparta was like (Hint. Kids were put out into the wilderness to fend for themselves before adolescence. An analysis of female Spartan bone structure showed it identical to the males due to physical training.)

Americans have been hypnotized by the media. Most have all the spine of the jellyfish which so many of them have come to resemble. They'll believe or do whatever the sacred TV tells them.

Until there is no more TV, or internet, or perhaps even nonlocal newspapers.

Cheers!

excelent reply. I concur ~98%