[Heavy_Metal]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

It would be hard to argue that Amercia isn't violent. They've invaded every one of their neightbours at one point or another, theyw ere forged in war, they had a horrendous civil war and the list of wars they've fought since Independence would fill this page.

Still, it seems to have worked for them.

if one digs it can be argued that every country/society etc. was violent at one point.

[Wada]

Heavy_Metal Heavy_Metal:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

It would be hard to argue that Amercia isn't violent. They've invaded every one of their neightbours at one point or another, theyw ere forged in war, they had a horrendous civil war and the list of wars they've fought since Independence would fill this page.

Still, it seems to have worked for them.

if one digs it can be argued that every country/society etc. was violent at one point.

And that just makes it all right, eh! Woopieeeeee!

[Heavy_Metal]

Wada Wada:

Heavy_Metal Heavy_Metal:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

It would be hard to argue that Amercia isn't violent. They've invaded every one of their neightbours at one point or another, theyw ere forged in war, they had a horrendous civil war and the list of wars they've fought since Independence would fill this page.

Still, it seems to have worked for them.

if one digs it can be argued that every country/society etc. was violent at one point.

And that just makes it all right, eh! Woopieeeeee!

time to stop while you're ahea......well it's just time to stop Wada...

[Streaker]

Never mind the few hundred thousand dead in Iraq. Of well.... shit happens...

[Zipperfish]

Streaker Streaker:

Never mind the few hundred thousand dead in Iraq. Of well.... shit happens...

The US is the world's only superpower right now. They reign. Part of the reason they are in that position is a dedication, throughout their history, to military power. Continuing military supremacy, I would argue, is dependent on perpetual war. They need war to survive.

$1:

"This long peace, and the uniform government, introduced a slow and secret poison into the vitals of the empire. The minds of men were gradually reduced to the same level, the fire of genius was extinguished, and even the military spirit evaporated. Their personal valor remained, but they no longer possessed that public courage which is nourished by the love of independence, the sense of national honor, the presence of danger, and the habit of command... The posterity of their boldest leaders was contented with the rank of citizens and subjects... A cloud of critics, of compilers, of commentators, darkened the face of learning, and the decline of genius was soon followed by the corruption of taste." -- Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

[Scape]

Isn't 'Attack' a violent act?

[Streaker]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

Streaker Streaker:

Never mind the few hundred thousand dead in Iraq. Of well.... shit happens...

The US is the world's only superpower right now. They reign. Part of the reason they are in that position is a dedication, throughout their history, to military power. Continuing military supremacy, I would argue, is dependent on perpetual war. They need war to survive.

$1:

"This long peace, and the uniform government, introduced a slow and secret poison into the vitals of the empire. The minds of men were gradually reduced to the same level, the fire of genius was extinguished, and even the military spirit evaporated. Their personal valor remained, but they no longer possessed that public courage which is nourished by the love of independence, the sense of national honor, the presence of danger, and the habit of command... The posterity of their boldest leaders was contented with the rank of citizens and subjects... A cloud of critics, of compilers, of commentators, darkened the face of learning, and the decline of genius was soon followed by the corruption of taste." -- Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Is history fated to repeat itself?

Their current approach seems to me to be highly self-destructive: How long can the US continue like this before it ends up boxed into a corner?

And then there's the scenario presented by Gibbon.

Ironic how being at the top of the heap brings about such an oddly unenviable situation.