tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903369978904506414.post3612691310165341383..comments2024-02-18T23:27:55.993-06:00Comments on the Madness of the Combat Medic: So, is the "Post American" World Really a Better Place?The Mad Medichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16227573604389667896noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903369978904506414.post-69350433071988424362012-06-23T02:18:16.159-05:002012-06-23T02:18:16.159-05:00ok Annon I've heard this advocated by many pro...ok Annon I've heard this advocated by many progressives in academia. <br /><br />1). Afghanistan would have no "perfect win" scenario, but a scenario where they <i>don't</i> have a resurgent taliban, are economically viable as a nation. Victory isn't about body count in this particular case victory is going to be far more subtle than in Germany, or even Iraq. Also Invading countries works in a limited fashion, but you have to have sufficient forces to maintain security. In the post invasion aftermath, security is nearly priceless. <br /><br />2). On what authority does the UN have? Simple question. If not us than Who? I don't want to send ground troops into Syria, rather we should employ the Green Berets as they were designed to be employed, to train and assist the Local Forces. <br /><br />3). It seems to be the first act to run to the body count. The majority of deaths in the ME campaigns were actually not caused by Americans, but by the local insurgent forces. This is especially true of Iraq. Again Security is gold<br /><br />4). Actually I tend not to ignore that. I think US leadership is generally a <i>good</i> thing unfortunately some Presidents like getting involved in proxy wars as a way to avoid actually flexing their muscles. These presidents are not always Democrats, but the Democratic party seems to love deniable proxy wars. Just the way things work out Historically speaking. <br /><br />5). Like? The US spent decades trying to be a shield for the rest of the world against communist expansion and aggression. For some very good reasons this was a good thing. Trying to defend the world from an aggressive sphere of influence is bad why? I would also like to point out that many nations benefited greatly by the US "spreading its wings" over them. The downside is that such nations have let their own military lag, and thus are now unable to assist, or even really defend themselves. <br /><br />6). A missle Shield is not directed at anyone person but rather blanket protection for all people. But if you're wondering why president Bush felt it was a good idea to put the Missile Shield in Poland. . . well Iran <i>is</i> just sitting there and Russia <i>has</i> been selling off their massive arsenal like hot cakes to Iran and North Korea. I wouldn't be surprised if perhaps one might have been secretly put up in S. Korea or Japan when no one was looking. <br /><br />7). Again how exactly is this a US dominated world. We have let our power projection, and sphere of influence wane in the 90's. The Clinton years were focused on domestic policies completely ignoring at times the goings on in the international scene. We allowed our leadership to decline so much that the post 9/11 world seems like a shock to Americans but this state of global upheaval and religious tension has been growing for almost 40 years (the upheaval part though is a bit more recent). Countries that were stable (if not good by American standards) have come unglued making once stable regions fracture and onetime dangerous powers think they could potential seize old glory.The Mad Medichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16227573604389667896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903369978904506414.post-52595955666691451752012-06-21T13:41:41.564-05:002012-06-21T13:41:41.564-05:00Truly, I have enjoyed your posts, DR "MAD&quo...Truly, I have enjoyed your posts, DR "MAD" !!<br /><br />All The Best,<br /><br />DR_BRETT<br />(I sometimes comment, at "This Ain't Hell.")DR_BRETThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09157125340874811314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903369978904506414.post-82673826204637183472012-06-21T10:54:32.088-05:002012-06-21T10:54:32.088-05:00I think you're arguing against a straw man. I&...I think you're arguing against a straw man. I've only ever heard the phrase in reference to the waning power and influence of America as a nation, not as advocating a one-world government or supposing that it would inevitably lead to a utopia.<br /><br />>he seems to have little desire to win it<br /><br />What would a perfect-win scenario look like? When the entire country is dead then there'll be no one to fight back? Your continuous assumption that, in an era of rising anti-american sentiment, the best way to change that sentiment is to <i>invade sovereign nations that we don't like</i> defies all logic. <br /><br />Assad <i>should</i> go. Are we an Empire or not? On what authority can we decide, militarily, the future of some country half-way across the globe? <br /><br />>The UN has proven time and again hopelessly inept at even the most simple international efforts (to include, but not limited to introducing Cholera to Haiti and killing hundreds of thousands<br /><br />Conveniently ignoring the hundreds of thousands of civilians killed by our own campaigns in the middle east. Even in haiti we have the US-backed overthrow of democratically elected Artiside (twice). <br /><br />>"Resolutions" that have the effectiveness of spitwads, and attempting to tax "1st world" nations with bogus laws and statutes) and is rife with corruption.<br /><br />Conveniently ignoring the imposition of our own power onto ostensibly independent nations around the world.<br /><br />>China and Russia can not be trusted, seeming to be indulging some of the worst of their old habits from the Cold War.<br /><br />I'm failing to see how the US is not guilty of this as well. The eastern european missile shield is nothing if not left-over cold war paranoia.<br /><br />>Or is the reality of the "post-American" world actually quite horrifying?<br /><br />The current American dominated world is quite horrifying as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com