Nobody wants America until they need America. Everybody tears down America but nobody seems to be able to match America’s accomplishments. Even when we fall short of our own expectations we exceed everyone else’s accomplishments.
This is the first time in History where a country has had such a dominant military advantage where it hasn’t used it to expand its borders and/or colonize weaker countries.
You want unjust, try going to Hong Kong and speak out against the government. See what that gets you.
Unjust wars? I am assuming that is Iraq. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But nobody can be sympathetic to the Hussein regime, they were as bad of guys as there has ever been.
America and its democratic capitalism is the worst country and the worst system except for all the rest.
I started this thread for one reason. To sincerely thank all of you who served, so that I didn’t have to…we are all blessed to live in the greatest country in the history of mankind, built on over 200 years of men and women fighting to save our Republic.
Has America made mistakes ? Sure…
But just imagine a world in which there never was an America. Go ahead. America has lifted more people out of poverty than any system ever.
So for all of you who served (and who still serve), a sincere Thank You…anything else on this thread, please take it somewhere else.
As for your 60 cents of every tax dollar going to national defense bit, where in the name of heck did you get that number?
National defense makes up only 17% of the Federal Budget. That’s 17 cents, not 60. See here.
Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid both make up LARGER portions of the federal budget. Combined, they make up HALF. While Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid do have dedicated taxes, those taxes don’t come close to covering the costs of those programs.
In the case of Medicare, that dedicated tax only covers 36%. A larger portion comes from the same general tax revenues that pay for defense, and just about everything else. See here.
So while you are correct to say that education doesn’t equal intelligence, sometimes…to be quiet frank, it helps to have MORE education, because if you had a little bit more, you wouldn’t say some of the things that you did in your post, which were 100% INCORRECT, and borderline ignorant.
Peace bro. PM me offline if you’d like to discuss this further, but for now, I’d say that I have the last word.
Sometimes, you do need to properly educate yourself so that you don’t repeat bogus propaganda, as you did here.
I have been on this board since the early beginning. Every year for Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day we have threads saluting those who have served our county often at great personal sacrifice. Kendal Barrett started this year’s thread in the spirit of those that preceded it. Sadly we have a single poster dedicated to a current radical agenda who have proposed among other things:
Abolishing the Star Spangled Banner
Defunding the police and military
Omitting the Pledge of Allegiance
I do believe those who are pushing this agenda are in the minority. A loud but few Americans are committed to abandoning our culture, history and traditions. The fact that common courtesy and some small sense of pride in the country that has given them so much does not ameliorate their insistence to force their point of view on what should have been a non-political thread underscores in my mind the intolerance and rigidity of thought that now threatens our country.
I know what I am stating may cross our prohibition on politics but since the OP’s note was permitted to stand I believe in fairness those with an opposing view should be allowed to speak.
I flew over North Africa, there at the request of a country who wanted our help to preserve their new democracy from AQIM and then- new ISIS. I flew in the South China Sea, there at the request of several countries who want protection from their overbearing neighbor. I almost got to fly over South America, there at the request of a country wanting help finding drug cartels. Never armed, but connected to every activity that our Navy performs to keep the world open for free trade and shared prosperity. If we wanted colonies we would’ve held onto Japan, Germany, the Philippines, most Pacific islands, Cuba, Italy, North Africa, most of the Middle East, Korea, etc, when we had the chance. Instead they’re all independent, and we partner all over the world to provide and protect the network that makes it all go.
Smedley Butler on Interventionism
– Excerpt from a speech delivered in 1933, by Major General Smedley Butler, USMC.
War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.
I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.
I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.
There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is blind to. It has its "finger men" to point out enemies, its "muscle men" to destroy enemies, its "brain men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism.
It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.
I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a thought of my own until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service.
I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912 (where have I heard that name before?). I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.
During those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.
Look I’m no drum banger, I’ve seen terrible and stupid violence against civilians, partly enabled by our own failed foreign policy. I much prefer the activities i described that are a force for good in the world, and I too would rather our government demonstrated some more fiduciary responsibility with our taxes. But we aren’t the meddlers and baby killers that a previous era may have been.
Smedley Butler served in all those campaigns in the service of the original Progressives, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. He gave that speech as an ardent supporter of FDR. If he’s to be believed he even helped reveal a conspiracy to conduct a military coup, though his telling was light on evidence and heavy on self aggrandizement. FDR, like the other presidents i mentioned, was a Progressive, in charge for a major war, and did one better by creating the often hated military industrial complex. Progressives now love the policy ideas but forget the ugly byproducts.
You’re welcome to withhold your admiration for the achievements and activities of our veterans, such as they are. That’s part of the point. The US is different than the rest of the world and from all of history in that people not only permit or tolerate your views, but actually fight to preserve your opportunity to have and express them, rather than take them away with that same force. I only humbly suggest that you reflect on the provenance of your views, as the rest of us have to do, and reflect on the unique freedom you have to discuss them.
If you don’t mind me asking, how did you feel about Obama and his “interventions” in Libya, against ISIS (Syria and Iraq), and his escalation in Afghanistan? I spent 22 months in Afghanistan under Obama, as an example.
Just curious.
I hate to make this political. Support for Vets should be non-partisan.
But you seem dead set upon making it so.
BTW, how did it feel to have your 60 cents of every taxpayer dollar nonsense debunked, and your ignorance and lack of education about that exposed?
As for your other post, I’ve worked with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces at multiple conferences during my prior career. Japan is a close US ally. The JGDSF values its alliance with the USA VERY strongly. We are Japan’s insurance policy against China and North Korea.
Don’t assume that those protestors represent the feelings of either most Japanese, or the Japanese military/government.
Don’t believe everything that you read on internet sites such as those. They don’t tell the whole story.
While entering the West Gate prior to the UCF game, I was totally embarrassed by the actions of one of the “security” personnel . . . . . Just as we passed thru the metal detectors, the National Anthem began. One of the “security” team raised her fist in the air and claimed she did not know what the song was, but she did know BLM. Claimed she was a slave, and her people had been slaves for 400 years. I’m guessing she is totally ignorant of history . . . . .
