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Can Ulusoy

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Why does the American government meddle in everything?

Arrogance and ambition prevents healthy thinking... people have died because of the American government's ambition... however humanity is still silent.

Is there a solution for this?

Topics: American society ambition america arrogant society
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  • Bryan Rivera

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    Dec 6 2012: I don't really know. But I agree with you Can Ulusoy whole heartedly!
    We should let individual countries do whatever they want, as long as its not attacking the US.

  • Don Anderson 20+

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    Dec 6 2012: It sounds like you think ambition is a bad quality, I say it is a virtue.
    And Arrogance is just confidence gone too far, like with any good thing (too much of a good thing is bad)

    It is good that America has argued, pressured, rewarded, fight, and even died for freedom of all, would you not agree.
    Sadly the currently the US Government has wrongfully assumed democracy = freedom.
    When in fact people can have freedom without democracy and oppression with democracy.

    I’m glad you said the American “Government” because it gives me a chance point out that just like our government has checks and balances and is divided into three parts, so is America’s meddling. There also the commercial sector and the American citizens, that check and balance each other. This system has allow us to limit the harm one sector can do, and be a powerful force for good throughout the world.

    FYI: Looking over Wkikpedia’s take on “Turkey–United States relations”
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey%E2%80%93United_States_relations
    There is a 1952 U.S. Army film about turkey that is an interesting, and I recommend viewing.

  • Blake Harting

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    Dec 6 2012: Successful countries spread their "memes". That has been almost a fact for thousands of years. The US "government" (I think) cannot be truly and fully separated from the US population. I believe we spread these ideas in hope to benefit ourselves and the world much like you or anyone spreads the ideas they feel are beneficial. "Meddling" is a negative word and I don't think anyone can automatically attribute a negative word to something without already beginning an in-depth discussion about that topic also. But to summarize...

    I think we have spread our successful culture across the globe for the general benefit to the world... and each country will decide which parts of our culture they will adopt while trying to make their own original and (what they will feel) better spin on what they have taken from us. Everyone will benefit, we will gain friends (likely enough) and they will evolve their culture much like we have always been doing more or less.

  • David Steele

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    Nov 30 2012: I would like to expand on what Feyisayo brought up. I am not yet convinced that the United States is as much of a meddler as it's been made out to be in this forum. To be clear: I do realize that the US is involved in many foreign affairs, and my personal opinion is that we're involved in too many. However, I'm not sure that all of these should be called meddling. It seems to me that this discussion was set up with too many preconceptions, such as the assumption that the US government is arrogant and ambitious in its foreign policy. I would very much like someone to present this argument too me, as that is what this entire discussion seems to be based on.

    Secondly, a quick response to Zman. Some of those 900 military bases you mention are in Germany, but that's not to say we're meddling in Germany, or at least not in the way discussed here. We have military bases in most of the countries in the world, but the vast majority of those are of mutual consent. A very small minority are actually used for combat or other actions that might be seen as meddling. For example, we have a base in Germany that is used virtually only for emergency medical treatment of American and allied personnel in need of immediate advanced medical care who don't have time to be removed to the nation they're serving.
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    Danger Lampost 10+

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    Nov 29 2012: Can asked "Is there a solution for this?" There has been great discussion on why we meddle in everything, which perhaps is a precursor to coming up with a solution, but... Is there a solution for this?

    I believe our national debt may be the only solution to this. When Americans are paying more to fight wars over there than we are to take care of our own people here, we will hopefully vote in a new government that will stop meddling so much.

    • Barry Palmer 50+

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      Nov 30 2012: You may be right. It would be so typically American if we started doing the right thing because we ran out of money doing the wrong thing.
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    peter lindsay 30+

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    Nov 27 2012: In WW2 the US was the only major economy that didn't get blown to pieces as there was no military action against the mainland. This left the US as the only country in a position to rebuild its military post war. This meant that every time there was a perceived need for intervention or a need for troop deployment everyone looked to the US. They gradually became the "world police". Now they just can't break the habit. They're like those people who love to help but get carried away and just take over.

    • Tom Preusser

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      Nov 28 2012: America was isolationist going into WW2 - the world waited forever for us to "meddle". We did not "meddle" until we were attacked - the world rejoiced.
      Fast Forward and we see what most view as needless meddling in Vietnam and Iraq (2nd war). Vietnam led to stagflation of the 70's and Iraq ballooned our federal deficit. The pendulum is swinging the other way so be careful - you may get what you wish for - a US that is isolationist and does not "meddle".

      • Barry Palmer 50+

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        Nov 29 2012: As a USA citizen, I would like us to meddle less, and more wisely. If our resources had not been tied up in the Middle East we might have been able to do something about the genocide in Rwanda.

        • John Smith 30+

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          Nov 29 2012: An intervention in Rwanda would just have led to a quagmire like those in Iraq (except the Kurdish region) and Afghanistan. There was a time when politicians understood this and that's why Iraq wasn't occupied in 1991 and why Rwanda wasn't invaded in 1994. When there is no credible group in the country in question that can bring stability and progress and at the same time there are neighboring countries who have an interest in preventing stability and progress in the country in question then it's a lost cause and it'd be better to spend your resources helping people in other, more promising countries or even at home.
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    Can Ulusoy

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    Nov 27 2012: and ın fact I have learned American government is right because there is not opposition and you still defend the government because you have not seen different alternatives ....republicans or democrats , afro american or white presidents there is no difference and someone still talk about history of the countries who don't have history
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    Can Ulusoy

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    Nov 27 2012: daryl don't worry man you must be sure I have information about history of the countries ...however you did not learn importance of humanity I INVITE YOU TO BE OBJECTIVE... Mentioned countries have a big history apart from Israel and America
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    russell lester

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    Nov 27 2012: Thank you re history I have been having a conversation for the last few weeks about how US education descriminates against any non Europeaan culture by ignoring them in the evolution of civilization. I watched a movie last night about the Chinease 1911 revolution and I was astounded by how litttle I knew of it let alone the centuries of Chinease history before it, the same is true of Middle East cultures Africain or Americain/ South Americain cultures except in regaurds to how they were destroyed by European culture.
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      Spencer Ferri

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      Dec 4 2012: I'm from Canada, but as I understand it America and Canada don't differ greatly when it comes to education systems. If they're anything like us, then only a small amount of ancient history is objectively taught in mandatory classes throughout a persons education. Mostly only Western history is touched on, modern history in secondary school. But if other history courses are taken, other histories are learned. I took an ancient civilizations course, for example, which was about: Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, Byzantines, Rome, Japan and Arab ancient histories. It was only a precursor course to larger courses going more indpeth in ancient, foreign history.

      It's not that it's ignored, only that it's not mandatory knowledge.
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    Daryl Roche

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    Nov 27 2012: Interesting question coming from someone living in what is the last vestige of one of the largest empires of the region less than a hundred years gone..... Thus -

    "actually I wanted to talk about deaths in iraq, afgahanistan, palestine..."...
    you used this phrase to encapsulate your question with some clarity so I invite you to seek the history of Palestine, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan before using current events to cast aspersions on American "meddling".

    In fact I invite everyone to step back and review our collective histories even outside these regions to gain some perspective beyond just the adult portion of your own lives.

    This might be a good starting point -
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world_map_changes
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    Luke Hobbs

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    Nov 27 2012: Probably because America, like many Western cultures, do not have governments but tribes running them. The basic child mentality, in my opinion, is basic: a child says "Me" and an adult says "Us". I think it makes sense gentically, since adults were meant to be the overseers of a village, and his/her ability to live was held in high esteem by younger folk trying to survive. The young warriors have always been driven by reward from overseers, be it through trophies, social status etc. but unless they are taught the difference between childhood and adult responsibilities, the child mentality just stays within the person. You then end up with Governments who are made up of children in adults bodies, still seeking the feeling of reward from power, trophies and status, rather than from the reward of building a better society.

    • Barry Palmer 50+

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      Nov 27 2012: Simple and elegant. The best explanation I have ever seen for our childish government.

    • John Smith 30+

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      Nov 27 2012: "Probably because America, like many Western cultures, do not have governments but tribes running them. The basic child mentality, in my opinion, is basic: a child says "Me" and an adult says "Us"."

      No, it's not that simple: some form of imperialism is often necessary to maintain the high standard of living the population of the major power is used to, since that standard often relies on foreign natural resources and when it's not necessary the population still chooses to democratically reject alternatives that seem complicated or are slightly more expensive than war. For example all the recent mucking around in the Middle East by the West is about securing oil for the homelands because a majority of the populations of the most powerful Western countries (primarily the US) has rejected the alternative of going all in on renewable energy and cutting energy consumption. It's not just leaders behaving like children: politicians who advocate alternatives often don't get elected by the people, so the people share some of the blame.

      • John Frum 30+

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        Nov 27 2012: "some form of imperialism is often necessary to maintain the high standard of living the population of the major power is used to"

        With that, you have justified Hitler.

        Or, we could just trade. It always works better.

        • John Smith 30+

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          Nov 28 2012: "With that, you have justified Hitler."

          I made no value judgment: I did not say the population of a major power has a natural right to a higher standard of living than people in other countries. I'm merely observing that these populations don't want to lose their privileges and therefore support imperialist actions by their governments. In fact not having colonies in the third world (unlike all the other powers of the time) was actually one of the excuses Nazi Germany had for occupying Europe: they knew they needed more natural resources to compete with the other powers.

          "Or, we could just trade. It always works better."

          Why pay full price to a salesman and compete over him with another power when you can easily depose him and replace him by one of your stooges who'll only sell to you and a very cheap price? Why allow the salesman to develop to the point where he figures out he's better off keeping more of the goods to himself when you can keep him in the bronze age, oblivious to the possibilities he would have if he used the resources under his feet for himself instead of selling it?
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        Luke Hobbs

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        Nov 27 2012: Hi John, thanks for the response. My aim wasn't to blame any certain group or walk of life, but the child mentality vs the adult mentality of the human race. I am an advocate in believing that all things start from a simple base note, like growing an oak tree from a simple seed so to speak, and if we can change that core element in our society as a whole, then we can establish a much wiser society.

  • Ron Brockman

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    Nov 27 2012: As an over 60 American who has had the joy of meeting people from all over the world I find the average American to be clueless about other countries, religions and the ethnic history of others. This allows us to spend most of our time worrying about sports and TV personalities however our politicians feel they must force others to accept their methodology and we only check on them around election time. Most Americans don't hate anyone unless they interrupt a football game or if a news person or religious leader tells us to. We just don't understand anyone else and don't have the inclination to.
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      Luke Hobbs

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      Nov 27 2012: I'm 36 and, because my dad was an engineer, lived in 13 countries by the time I was 20. I am currently reading a great book called "Germs, Guns and Steel" (only just started) which asks why Western Europeans, when spreading across the world, were driven to global destruction, and why things like Confucianism started in the East and not the west, or why people with stone tools did not feel the urge to conquer, but those with metal tools did. I may be mis-representing the book but I am only a few pages in :)

      • Ron Brockman

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        Nov 27 2012: Googled it- Wikipedia has great article on it.-gotta have it-Thank you ! I fantasize the internet was invented so TED could exist and we could touch humanity with a keystroke then I feel good about not being in the obituary's.

  • Barry Palmer 50+

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    Nov 26 2012: "actually I wanted to talk about deaths in ıraq,afgahanistan,palestine."

    I agree with others, that understanding the USA meddling in these areas must be put into a larger context. The government of the USA meddles in everything. We have regulations affecting the buttons on doll's clothing that affect our international trading partners. To the outside world, the actions of the USA government must appear insane. We inside the USA can agree, we just haven't figured out a way to make things better. Not yet.

    Our involvement in the suffering in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine cannot be lumped together.

    IMO, our expedition into Iraq was based on a fabricated falsehood and is indefensible. George W. Bush and others that supported this war should be tried for war crimes. The true motive for that war was probably the obvious, oil.

    Our war with Al Qaeda and the Taliban has already achieved its original purpose. The continuation of our presence in Afghanistan, and our attacks in Pakistan, provide our government with an excuse to continue operating as if we were actually at war. This allows our government to suspend individual rights and operate with almost no constraints. If you have read the book 1984 by George Orwell, this should sound familiar. It also provides our military with a huge budget and a testing facility for its drone aircraft. If this seems sick, I agree and would like to change our policies.

    Our support of Israel is largely due to the political influence of the USA Jewish community. As with many issues in our political system, a determined and resourceful minority can have huge influence on policy, often resulting in policies that are not in the interest of the country as a whole.

    IMO, the larger context of all issues of government is the acquisition and use of power. Power, if left unused, will likely be taken by someone else. Use it or lose it. So the powerful feel compelled to use it when it is not necessary, doing needless harm.
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    Kareem Fahim

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    Nov 26 2012: "Why does the American government meddle in everything?"

    Because they are the 'super-power' and they intend to remain that way. People(lobby*) who govern US(and world) have their own and specific agenda- Americans (and whole world) believe that Obama/(their respective Govs./UN haha) run this country(and world), but (in my opinion) they are totally wrong. And a clear evidence to this statement can be found observing USA's foreign policy over the past century.

    Un saludo

  • John Smith 30+

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    Nov 26 2012: "Why does the American government meddle in everything?"

    Every country does this, but the more powerful the country, the more it meddles. The United States and China are very powerful so they meddle the most, but the emerging middle power Turkey meddles as well, for example in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. It has always been that way and it will always be that way.

  • Dan F 50+

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    Nov 25 2012: The American government is the USA. Our government is not independent of our country unlike some systems of influence and power base like Islam, or for that matter Christianity. Those organiztions have their own standard of conduct which are not much open to input, or criticism or too much into choice.

    A considerable amount of "meddling" on the world stage between numerous nations is not new and subject to historical perspective and I think the USA is in relatively good standing, but not without faults. In this new era of technology and wealth things have changed. We live in a nuclear age and the world is armed to the teeth and world tensions are in evidence.

    The giants have stood down to some extent, but the spread of nuclear arms continues in areas of the world that could bring about incredible destruction and suffering worldwide. The idea that just a few select individuals could deliver and trigger a nuclear devise with adequate funding and motivation is undeniable.

    In terms of our recent activity, I think our going into Kuwait was defendable, but invading Iraq to remove its brutal leadership was questionable. Things have not gone the way forecasted by those advocating this involvement. Remember democracy was just waiting to happen.

    You are a student at a well recognized university. The financial and personal cost over benefit for the USA going into Iraq for the results has not been encouraging. The aftermath of the Arab Spring confirms what appears to be an even more widespread failure in the democracy we were hoping for in the region. I think its time to come home, despite the heartache it may mean to many Arabs hoping for a better future.

    I am not dismissing your criticism of our government. You may be surprised how much we could agree on. Sorry for the grief you are suffering.
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    Can Ulusoy

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    Nov 25 2012: firstly ı want to apologise because of my english level is not good,but ı try to express my minds

    actually I wanted to talk about deaths in ıraq,afgahanistan,palestine...I believe to crusader mentality continues in different forms but someone still can defend US government ... I think that both of uncle sams and obamas are successful figures to hide reality... American gov. has been playing a complicated game for many years. However the biggest problem other satellite states continue to applause ... and shortly we have only an answer '' America's famous democracy feeding on innocent people's blood

  • george lockwood 20+

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    Nov 25 2012: This has moved outside the United States except for John Galt. All countries play the Great Game. Many play it with the United States. Almost my entire life the United States has been trying to get rid of Castro Duh he's gone now because of age in his longest reign in the history of the Western Hemispere. Look I wonder if you are not making a big deal of something that's not a big deal And internally - the big boys seem to be able to do almost anyhing they want. IS corporate bureaucracy different than govenmental bureaucracy except - they corporate bureaucracy have no real responsibility to the people. No taxation without representation I say If Paul Ryan really read van Hayek He would know the two big problems are corporations and patent law. I don't know about that - but the conservative Wiz said read that and Ann Rand. Strange Ann!
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    Robert Winner 50+

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    Nov 24 2012: I am going to "assume" for the lack of response from Can that he is concerned about the arrogance and ambition of our leadership. I agree. Politics in the US has become a act of seduction. Our leadership deplores the wealthy and wants to redistribute the wealth but caters to them and their dsires to remain/get into the ego trip of power. Politicians have no respect for the very people they serve but continue to feather their bed at their expense. More specifically to the question at hand would be foreign policy. We have have none. We trade with nations happily and greedily that violate everything we stand for .... because we have, through our leadership, prostituted the American that once stood atop the world. Foreign newspapers that once lauded our leadership and spoke softly about America now openly refer to our leader as the "Prince of Fools". We are dependent upon England to intervene in foreign affairs because our State Department lacks the knowledge and diplomatic skills required in international affairs. But even Foggy Bottom cannot save a nations reputation that is self destructing. We have lost the industrial and finicial wealth that made us great.

    If there were good intentions both at home and abroad then America would again be seen as a hero nation. As it is we are nothing more that a hired gun for sale with no ethic, morals, or standards ... we bow to their King and do his bidding because that is what prostitutes do.

    My appoligies to prostitutes for impling that they might be politicians.

    All the best. Bob.
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    russell lester

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    Nov 24 2012: Because it has the power to do so and it is looked to by various national and transnational interests to make its power felt in a variety of places to support or oppose any given cause. But mostly because they can, ability to do something naturally impels the doing of it.
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      edward long 100+

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      Nov 24 2012: RE: "it's astounding . . ."
      Apparently you disagree with my response given specifically to Mr. Lee. Do you have anything more substantial to contribute than an arbitrary, non-specific, unsolicited, irrelevant personal assessment of my intellectual acuity? Your response adds nothing to the debate by way of enlightenment.

      • John Frum 30+

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        Nov 24 2012: * Israel turns down American "help".
        * "Iraq was held hostage by a savage, maniac dictator who needed to be put out of a job." Savage and maniacal in whose eyes? Many have said this about Bush also. In any case, Saddam was made powerful with America's meddlesome support.
        * Afghanistan and Pakistan: I agree with you -- for the current scenario. America is looking out for its own security, as it should. I still disagree with the American means of doing it. But, to start with, America and USSR ruined Afghanistan. In any case, Osama Bin Laden was made powerful with America's meddlesome support.
        * Korea and Vietnam: There are many people asking for help, all the time. The American government only helps when it can spread its imperialist wings.
        * The malignancy of communism is alive and well within America. It is just called by a different name.
        * America is a totalitarian ruler too.
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          edward long 100+

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          Nov 24 2012: I categorically reject everything you just said with the exception of the part where you exressed ageement with me. If you don't see a difference between President Bush and Hussein I think you are not being serious. One used poison gas on his own citizens. The other tracked him down and and turned him over to the authorities who promptly hung him. Do you know what Imperialism looks like?. . . there are colonies sworn to loyalty to the imperialist conqueror. Name the US colonies for me please. Communism may be alive in America, but it only thrives in the protective artificial atmosphere of our institutions of higher learning. America is not totalitarian.

      • John Frum 30+

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        Nov 25 2012: References for my statements:
        1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51-KA-Nc3_k
        2. http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Iraq/Saddam_MadeInUSA.html the article has enough references of its own. Also http://usiraq.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000887
        3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone. I was wrong about Osama Bin Laden. The US "only" supported the mujaheddin.
        4. I'll not go on about Korea and Vietnam. My own knowledge is patchy.
        5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKjPI6no5ng
        6. http://thewarningsigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/67-year-old-man-arrested-for-minting.html or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Dollar#Legal_issues

        The links I have provided are only a small sampling.

        American totalitarianism is like the apocryphal frog in boiling water.
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          edward long 100+

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          Nov 25 2012: 1) No disagreement here. Israel wants , and needs, our technology, not our troops.
          2) Absolutely yes we did arm Iraq as an ally against Iran.
          3) Absolutely yes we did arm the mujahideen as allies against the communists.
          5) I see no relevance to this debate in this Obama rhetoric.
          6) Passing off silver coins as US currency is illegal. Is prosecuting counterfeit violations meddling?
          7) Evidence indicates an intent to deceive buyers about coins being official US currency.
          Finally, the meaning or relevance of your remark about an "apocryphal frog" escapes me completely.

      • John Frum 30+

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        Nov 25 2012: 1. I don't know what you mean by "our" technology. Technology has ceased to be the dominion of a handful of countries. Many multinationals of US and European origin who have huge research centers in Israel. If you meant weapons made by US companies, and Israel pays with their own money, the US would still not be said to be "supporting" Israel.
        2 & 3. Why did you disagree with me earlier? I am completely confused.
        5. Don't you think that that point of view is "communist"? The fact that Obama says it so openly, and so many Americans agree with it, and want the state to do more, indicates that communist ideologies are endemic in the US.
        6. No one passed it off as US currency. The were not counterfeit: they did not pretend to be something they are not. It is currency, just thy way bitcoin is. By "US currency", do you mean "made by the US government"? The people who made Liberty Dollars hate the government. Why would they even want to pass it off as US currency? Please point me to the evidence.

        US totalitarianism is happening very slowly. People's rights are being taken away in little bits. That's why most people don't notice, and think the US is still the land of the free. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_frog
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          edward long 100+

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          Nov 25 2012: Someday I will learn to communicate clearly in few words. Sorry for the confusion. I'll try again:
          1) I was a weapons designer for several prime contractors to the Pentagon. The Israelis were often "the customer". That I know from experience. The Iron Dome is our technology. The US supports Israel, period!
          2 &3) I did not disagree that we armed those two, I disagree that we knew Sadaam was a homocidal maniac when we armed him. (We KNOW he had WMD, we sold them to him, they are buried somewhere in Iraq.) The mujahadeen were enemies of our enemy, aka our strategic friend, so we armed them to impede our enemy. That's good, proven strategy!
          5) I differentiate between communism and socialism. Obama is the latter as are 47% of Americans.
          6) The charges state there was an affort to misrepresent the coins as US currency. Perhaps they are unfounded, but they are the basis of prosecution.
          Finally, agreed, the US is becoming socialist, but that is not the same as totalitarian. We still have checks and balances which are non-existent in a dictatorship, like Egypt is about to become.
          Thanks for being patient!

      • John Frum 30+

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        Nov 26 2012: 2 & 3. This is exactly what most people discussing here call "meddling" :-) As for "good, proven strategy", empire building has always proven to be bad strategy, whether done by Americans or by Russians. This policy is now biting the US back.

        Now, not directly related to the main topic of discussion:
        5. Agreed, there is a difference between communism and socialism. But none of the "communist countries" were communist. They were all socialist.
        6. Some of us, especially the free-market people, think that the existence of the federal reserve is an interference in the internal affairs.

        7. I get the impression that "checks and balances" has become just eyewash. I'm not in the US, and therefore somewhat ignorant. But can you give me recent examples of where these checks and balances worked?
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          edward long 100+

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          Nov 26 2012: Obama told the leader of Tibet recently that he wished he could circumvent Congress to achieve his purposes. That is how a check works.
          EDIT: I can't find the Tibet report so I want to change the reference to a speech Barak Hussein Obama gave to Latinos recently where he siad he wished he could circumvent Congress, but added "that's not the way our Democracy (Note: the US, which he is the Chief Executive of, is not a democracy, it is a Representative Republic) works".

  • greg dahlen 20+

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    Nov 24 2012: What has the government meddled in that affected you directly, for example, in Ankara, or in Turkey? Why did you start this question, what did you have in mind?

    • Mikey Lee

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      Nov 24 2012: I think it's a very valid question, and as a non-American living in America, i've been thinking the exact same thing.

      Why does the US "meddle"? Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Korea, Vietnam....
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        edward long 100+

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        Nov 24 2012: Israel is a friend of America. We help our friends. Iraq was held hostage by a savage, maniac dictator who needed to be put out of a job. Afghanistan and Pakistan both harbor and aid the enemies of America which makes them strategic players. Korea and Viet Nam asked for help in the past to avoid the malignancy of Communism as it reached toward its goal of world domination. America "meddles" in the affairs of those who want, and need, her might and power to survive against those who would crush them under totalitarian rule. Why did you not mention Germany or Japan?
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          russell lester

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          Nov 24 2012: Its astounding that you can be st intelligent and well educated and yet have so little a concept of what the USA has done abroad.

        • Gordon Barker 10+

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          Nov 24 2012: I agree with russell. Your ignorance of US history abroad is astounding. The US started planning to be the world superpower even prior to its joining WWII because it knew the European powers would burn themselves out leaving a vacuum that the US would nicely slide into. It is an extension to the ridiculous notion of American Exceptionalism which after the end of the cold war began to morph into the American Empire and under George W Bush morphed again into America's interests being above the law, both international and soverign country law.
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    Gail . 50+

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    Nov 24 2012: Military industrial complex (the war machine) and the financiers who finance wars find wars very profitable. These mega corporations are so large that they people of the USA have no voice in world affairs, and even when they think that they do, it's only because Fox news tells its viewers to BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID. They never look behind the headlines at the real problems. As Fox news is the most widely viewed network in the US, this leaves many Americans functionally uneducated.

    You can also add the extremist christian religions to the mix. They cry out BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID. (Most are Fox news viewers). They have a lot of political power in the USA. But let's see what the next election will bring. There is growing consensus in Republican circles that these people (the Tea Party) cost them the most recent election.

    These people who live in fear (that their god is not really in control), are quick to find fault with any person or any nation that is not just like them. They are ready fodder for the military industrial complex. (The USA has changed considerably in the last 20 years thanks to the ascent of the religious fundamentalists of the political right.)
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      edward long 100+

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      Nov 24 2012: I agree completely that the US has changed considerably. According to you, since 1992 there has been an "ascent of the religious fudamentalists of the political right". You include the Tea Party in that sweeping generalization. Can you name the Tea Party candidates who have been elected during this "ascent" of power? Also, can you provide a couple of examples where FOX News has broadcast fraudulent, or false information? I think your dislike for FOX is their choice of which stories to cover, not that they lie or deliberately distort facts. They talk about the Benghazi scandal while the NY Times, Wahington Post and Huffington Post virtually ignore it. The world according to you is decaying because the Christians, the Conservatives, and the Masters of War have all, or most, of the power and the peace-loving, enlightened, well-informed Liberals sit helplessly by watching the inevitable disintegration. That is fantasy. You, sir, could not be more wrong. FACT: During the last 20 years your two Liberal Presidents have ordered military troops into conflict more than the one conservative President. Everything is not the fault of Christians, Conservatives, and FOX news. Don't hold yourself blameless.

      • Gordon Barker 10+

        • +2
        Nov 24 2012: Taken from RationalWiki...
        A December 2010 University of Maryland study showed Fox News viewers aren't merely the most uninformed, but the most misinformed.

        A November 2011 Fairleigh Dickinson University study found similar results, that people who watched no news were better informed than those who watched Fox News. Fox viewers were much more likely "to believe false information about politics."The study also revealed Fox News fans had a poor grasp of situations in the Middle East.

        Fox News was the first to inform us that Barack Obama is a Muslim sleeper, trained in a radical Islamic madrasa, a co-conspirator of terrorist Bill Ayers, who salutes his wife with a "terrorist fist jab." Fox is still awaiting a Pulitzer for these notable revelations

        Fox invented the technique of showing one thing on the screen while commenting upon the opposite, such as Sean Hannity repeatedly asserting Rudy Giuliani was winning the 2008 Republican debates, while live polls showed Ron Paul winning

        In lieu of sourcing, Fox News uses phrases like "some say…" or "someone asked…" to obscure editorial manipulation and opinion-casting. 'Some' have called it (wink) empty calories of journalism

        Fox News exploits the mathematical illiteracy of the public by using graphs distorted beyond what mere incompetence could explain. In many cases, their figures don't add up and in others, numbers are graphically misrepresented - as people rarely read the numbers when a graph is given.

        In April of 2009, Media Matters began documenting Fox Nation's false and blatantly biased stories. After one year, their laundry list of the most extreme examples contained approximately 350 entries
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          edward long 100+

          • 0
          Nov 24 2012: RE: "I agree with russell. . ."
          It's good to see you two agree. Too bad it isn't about something more important than my ignorance of US history abroad. Your slant on things is quite inventive. Profoundly at variance with truth, but inventive. Anything on topic?
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        Gail . 50+

        • 0
        Nov 25 2012: If you don't know that the Tea Party cost Republicans the senate and the presidency, you are not paying attention. As to your question of who these Tea Party members are that caused the ascent:

        Michelle Bachman is the chair of the Tea Party Caucus. Its members are:
        Sandy Adams, Florida
        Rodney Alexander, Louisiana
        Michele Bachmann, Minnesota, Chair
        Roscoe Bartlett, Maryland
        Joe Barton, Texas
        Gus Bilirakis, Florida
        Rob Bishop, Utah
        Diane Black, Tennessee
        Michael C. Burgess, Texas
        Paul Broun, Georgia
        Dan Burton, Indiana
        John Carter, Texas
        Bill Cassidy, Louisiana
        Howard Coble, North Carolina
        Mike Coffman, Colorado
        Ander Crenshaw, Florida
        John Culberson, Texas
        Jeff Duncan, South Carolina
        Blake Farenthold, Texas
        Stephen Fincher, Tennessee
        John Fleming, Louisiana
        Trent Franks, Arizona
        Phil Gingrey, Georgia
        Louie Gohmert, Texas
        Vicky Hartzler, Missouri
        Wally Herger, California
        Tim Huelskamp, Kansas
        Lynn Jenkins, Kansas
        Steve King, Iowa
        Doug Lamborn, Colorado
        Jeff Landry, Louisiana
        Blaine Luetkemeyer, Missouri
        Kenny Marchant, Texas
        Tom McClintock, California
        David McKinley, West Virginia
        Gary Miller, California
        Mick Mulvaney, South Carolina
        Randy Neugebauer, Texas
        Rich Nugent, Florida
        Steven Palazzo, Mississippi
        Steve Pearce, New Mexico
        Mike Pence, Indiana
        Ted Poe, Texas
        Tom Price, Georgia
        Denny Rehberg, Montana
        Phil Roe, Tennessee
        Dennis Ross, Florida
        Ed Royce, California
        Steve Scalise, Louisiana
        Tim Scott, South Carolina
        Pete Sessions, Texas
        Adrian Smith, Nebraska
        Lamar Smith, Texas
        Cliff Stearns, Florida
        Tim Walberg, Michigan
        Joe Walsh, Illinois
        Allen West, Florida
        Lynn Westmoreland, Georgia
        Joe Wilson, South Carolina

        You may be surprised that I was an original Tea Partier, until it was hijacked by xtians.
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          edward long 100+

          • 0
          Nov 25 2012: The data for a conclusive, factual statement about why Obama won yet another term is not yet available. Your opinion is noted as one of many. Thank you for the list of names of people who led "the ascent of the religious fundamentalists of the political right." I wll need to confirm they were all elected with the TP's help (which was my original question). Why is the US always meddling? Is your answer that the TP and the Christians are behind all, or most of, the "meddling"?
          I
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    Barbara Bearden

    • +1
    Nov 24 2012: I would presume that this question is asking, Why does the US government meddle in everyone's affairs outside of its borders? To narrow that down even further, maybe the question could be asked, What are the US interests when it seems to be meddling in something outside its borders? I don't believe anyone is naive enough to think the US does everything with the transparent intentions it states it does. But maybe the question could be more specific as one person stated. I think it can be narrowed down to an interesting conversation starter. Thanks.
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    edward long 100+

    • +1
    Nov 24 2012: There are many things in which Uncle Sam does not meddle. I'm not sure how many "things" there are, but I suspect there are many with which the US Govt. has absolutely nothing to do. For example: the curriculum at Bilkent University; the selection of avatars for use on websites; the death of the Aral Sea; John Galt; promoting state's rights; and there must be more. Do you have any particular "things" in mind, sir? Thank you.
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      pat gilbert 50+

      • 0
      Nov 24 2012: I can guarantee you that the all knowing have nothing to do with John Galt as he has gone Galt, as he is tired of the aforementioned...
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    Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

    • +1
    Nov 23 2012: You have not argued convincingly that the US government meddles in 'everything'.
    Can you be more elaborate?

    • Zman Kietilipooskie

      • +1
      Nov 24 2012: I think it was assumed you knew a little background info on the US, we are in something like 130 countries and we have like 900 bases placed all over the world.
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    Xavier Belvemont 30+

    • +2
    Nov 23 2012: Can you be more specific as to what particular actions we're talking about.
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