Search results indicate a really bad direction for US hegemony. I want no part of diminishing US influence
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So you guys want the US to keep spending blood and treasure on the rest of the world’s problems? Why exactly? Have we not bled enough for an ungrateful world?
No, I want us to spend them to advance our interests, which often requires taking the lead role in addressing “the rest of the world’s problems.”
Nature, and geopolitics, abhor a vacuum. By giving up the lead-dog harness, we have allowed others (principally China) the opportunity to step into it. (If you’ll forgive the jarring admixture of metaphors.)
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Does Obama being weak or Trump being a bafoon make our missiles less deadly? Do they make our Billions in foreign aid worth less? When you talk about influence and leadership, how exactly are we ceding power to other countries by having silly leaders? Isn’t it the military and economic power that makes one… a superpower? Not the chief executive dork in a suit.
The Chinese politburo is insanely corrupt. The Russian Oligarchy and pols are no better. The EU (cough Germans cough) isn’t going to be the big dog.
Who will the world look to when we implode?
Leadership matters.
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A number of countries have deadly missiles. NK has deadly missiles. Pakistan has deadly missiles. Do you consider them leaders on the world stage?
As I said above, having billions one is unwilling to spend is tantamount to not having billions at all.
Because other countries are befuddled and dismayed by Trump’s incompetence, buffoonery and policy incoherence, as well as by the US’s unwillingness to wield soft power. Leaders of these countries have publicly stated that they can no longer depend on the US for guidance and leadership.
NO. It is the willingness to wield military and economic power, coupled with a shared vision for a just and stable international order, that makes one a superpower. No matter how rich and powerful we are, retreating to our own shores and building walls around our borders makes us a hermit kingdom of sorts, not a superpower.
Corruption is not a barrier to stepping into a leadership vacuum. Further, the Germans have publicly stated they can no longer depend on the US, and are widely seen as the new leaders of the West.
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Yes having borders and controlling who you let into your sovereign nation, that’s just so backwards. Somebody should tell the EU, China, Russia… i.e. literally every other super power candidate that also controls their borders… That it’s frowned upon by the international community. Or is the US supposed to have a porous insecure border to prove what a global power they are?
The Germans have publicly stated lots of things, like the Final Solution. They have a pittance for a military and support their manufacturing sector by tying themselves to PIGS to keep the Euro undervalued. The EU is a house of cards.
The US has the most capable military on earth. They can kill anyone anywhere in a few hours time if the gloves ever came off.
The US spends more on foreign aid than any other country in absolute dollars. But that isn’t enough. They will quibble about %of GNI, because the intent matters more than the results I guess.
We protect our allies with a giant military, basically guaranteeing pax Americana. But that isn’t enough.
What more should we do to be the “leader of the free world?” In before someone says ‘Impeach Trump’ lol.
United States $31.1 billion
United Kingdom $18.7 billion
Germany $17.8 billion
Japan $9.3 billion
France $9.2 billion
Sweden $7.1 billion
Netherlands $5.8 billion
Norway $4.3 billion
Canada $4.3 billion
Italy $3.8 billion
Switzerland $3.5 billion
Australia $3.2 billion
Denmark $2.6 billion
South Korea $1.9 billion
Belgium $1.9 billion
Spain $1.6 billion
Finland $1.3 billion
Austria $1.2 billion
Ireland $0.7 billion
Poland $0.4 billion
New Zealand $0.4 billion
Luxembourg $0.4 billion
Iceland $0.3 billion
Greece $0.3 billion
Portugal $0.3 billion
Czech Republic $0.2 billion
Slovak Republic $0.1 billion
Slovenia $0.1 billion
I agree with most of what you’re saying. Just wanted to get in for a zinger.
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Well done. I amend my statement.
The US military can kill everyone, everywhere given a few hours’ notice.
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Why do people insist on saying we protected Europe, for example, as though we did it for benevolent reasons? It was, maybe still is, in our best interests to have a military presence over there. Do people forget the whole Iron Curtain thing? We deliberately allowed Germany to become impotent, giving the Soviets a piece as well as a good part of Eastern Europe.
You do realize the soviets took all of Eastern Germany in their rush to Berlin while the US seized the West? They weren’t just going to give it back.
Patton wanted to keep fighting right through to Moscow. Then he died in an unfortunate truck accident.
You are making my point for me. We are the lone super power so long as we have the world’s largest military and economy. When did I ever suggest benevolence? Was Rome the super power of their hemisphere at their prime? Was Rome benevolent?
Churchill warned us what would happen and used some colorful language in the process.
And we let the Soviets take other nations as well.
I didn’t accuse you of anything.
I don’t know if you’re being intentionally obtuse here, but the point has nothing to do with border security–it’s Trump’s attitude that the US should ‘hunker down,’ with the border wall being but one (particularly stupid) manifestation thereof.
You are now officially trolling in my book. I did not, and will not, read past this statement. Later dude.
Not even a little bit. I was merely pointing out your appeal to authority and its failure. Looking to Germany as the leading super power of the West is patently absurd.
Your unwillingness to even read an argument that troubles you is remarkably, non liberal. If you took personal offense, that was not my intent.
We let them take it. The Western allies stopped moving east by mutual agreement with the USSR.
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Millions of illegals in Russia from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian republics beg to differ.
As far as EU is concerned… well, just take a walk around one of German cities.
Yeah, but it’s a matter of political will. The strongest army doesn’t matter if you’re will is suspect.
Yes, the occupation zones were defined in late 1944. What the dying FDR didn’t expect is that Stalin would turn all of Eastern European countries into communist puppet states.
Each of them had supposed “free and fair” elections immediately after the war and in each of those elections the communists won. Of course, it’s pure coincidence that opposing political candidates died en masse before and during those sham elections and voter fraud was rampant.
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While they might need to import migrants to replace themselves the Germans are making attempts to control their borders. As are most nations. I just don’t see how attempting to control your border means you’re ceding superpower status.
Or is it only bad when murika does it?
No. Seriously, German border control is spectacularly laughable, it’s even the laughing stock around Europe.
As far as Russia is concerned, that specific instance was a punishment for Belarus, their hapless vassal - Belarus abolished visas for many Western countries and this was Russian knee jerk reaction “Oh yeah? Well now we need a wall to protect ourselves from those evil Westerners crossing from Belarus”. Borders towards Central Asia are spectacularly porous.
Personally, I’m loving the development on that marvel of technology that is a see-through wall, that was promised by POTUS:
I’m not saying a country shouldn’t protect it’s borders, but the idea that other countries vying for dominance are proverbial “fortresses” is dead wrong.
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“Trump Rants About Immigrants From ‘Shithole’ African Countries, Wants More People From ‘Countries Like Norway’: Report”
"President Trump grew frustrated with lawmakers Thursday in the Oval Office when they floated restoring protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan immigration deal, according to two people briefed on the meeting.
“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump said, according to these people, referring to African countries and Haiti. He then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries like Norway, whose prime minister he met Wednesday." [emphasis mine]
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If we look past the blatant (expected) racism in the statement, I’m more fascinated by the fact that the supposed “stable genius” doesn’t understand the first thing about the world economy and why people from “shitholes” want to emigrate.
On a side note, the Norwegians gave all that they could give, per Wikipedia:
Between 1825 and 1925, more than 800,000 Norwegians immigrated to North America—about one-third of Norway’s population with the majority immigrating to the USA, and lesser numbers immigrating to the Dominion of Canada. With the exception of Ireland, no single country contributed a larger percentage of its population to the United States than Norway.
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