American Empire?

Originally posted by Alliance
The UN can't do its job because the US treats it like sh*t. The UN is to be above every nation...including the US. Untill that is the case (and the UN gets an army) the UN will be able to be what it was meant to be.

And the US's craptastic foreign policies have done a lot of damage to the world. American arraogance.

The US dosent respect the UN because we know how corrupt it is.

Heck Koffi Annan was in bed with guys like Saddam Hussien 😐

Originally posted by who?-kid

Yes but it DOES police the world. That's a cold fact. It manipulates everywhere, and where it doesn't succeed in bribing, it succeeds in throwing over the government and replacing it with a more America orientated government. The examples of this are almost countless...

Before you think I attack America, I attack the way of thinking of the White House, not the American people. I hope you can see the difference.

Thats allways good to hear 😬

True. Europe for example wouldn't be the same without America. America helped Europe to beat the Nazis (though they didn't lift a finger until they were bombed at Pearl Harbour by Japan, the allies of Germany).

Because we just got out of the depression and we didnt want to fight a war that had nothing to do with us.

Don't make me laugh. The White House only is interested in the countries with rich (oil)supplies, or in countries who have something to do with (oil)supplies.

Yeah because the US is getting so much oil from going into Iraq 🙄

The most horrible things are happening now in Africa (Rwanda, Sudan) it's plain mass murder, and it's going on for years and years. Have you ever heard America say one thing about Africa ? Nope. Why not ? Because Africa is poor...

I agree that is crap. However it is the UN's job to prevent Genocide. Yet, guys like Kofi Annan ignored stuff like Rwanda, even though he knew what was going on. He just didnt care

Well like usual the UN will probably clean up the mess America made (like in Afghanistan and very likely in Iraq). [/B]

The UN hasnt done crap in Afganistan and Iraq has had a large decline in violence and look at all the achiements we got out of Iraq.

No more evil dicatator. No more opression. No more radical islamists. Democracy. Right now it may seem like nothing but I assure that we will be glad Iraq was libberated 😉

Originally posted by Grimm22
Because we just got out of the depression and we didnt want to fight a war that had nothing to do with us.

No more evil dicatator. No more opression. No more radical islamists. Democracy. Right now it may seem like nothing but I assure that we will be glad Iraq was libberated 😉

Believe it or not, though Saddam was a real dictator and though the people were oppressed, it was not as bad as you may think : the citizens of the surrounding countries (Iran, Syria and such) who have Islamic governments - Iraq didn't - are at least as oppressed as back then in Iraq. And the women even more.

I'm not so sure if the situation has become better without Saddam. He was of course a ruthless dictator who deserves to be shot, but as much as I hate to say it, Iraq was more or less a calm land a few years ago.

there has always been a civil war or civil wars over in the middle east not just Iraq. it is always a huge mess in Iraq and it will continue to be so. Saddam is just a puny dictator in a puny country and it was actually better because at least it had some sort of order and rules for everyone to obey, despite whatever the bad things he did. some citizens were pleased that he was ousted but some were pissed off at the u.s. saddam is not a ruthless dictator compared to Mussolini, Hitler, or Stalin. he is just a shit that had nothing else to do besides being a pimp in his country.

Originally posted by who?-kid
True.
[B]
Right now, there's a real civil war going on in Iraq : the body count is very high. I'm not holding the US responsible for that - nobody could foresee something like this - but the fact remains it's a HUGE mess in Iraq.

Believe it or not, though Saddam was a real dictator and though the people were oppressed, it was not as bad as you may think : the citizens of the surrounding countries (Iran, Syria and such) who have Islamic governments - Iraq didn't - are at least as oppressed as back then in Iraq. And the women even more.

I'm not so sure if the situation has become better without Saddam. He was of course a ruthless dictator who deserves to be shot, but as much as I hate to say it, Iraq was more or less a calm land a few years ago.

Agreed.

I think going into Iraq was a good thing, however the way we went in was stupid if you ask me.

Then again the entire war could have been avoided if that f*ck Saddam and his sons had left the country cursing

Originally posted by Grimm22
Agreed.

I think going into Iraq was a good thing, however the way we went in was stupid if you ask me.

Then again the entire war could have been avoided if that f*ck Saddam and his sons had left the country cursing

I agree.

I also agree, although I don't think we should aburptly get up and leave, nor do I think we should be there for the next ten years with the civil war that we're in the middle of over there. Oh, and to stay on topic, America isn't an Empire because 1) No Emperor 2) Democracy. 3) Not a dictatorship.

Originally posted by Morgoths_Wrath
Can you call the United States an empire? Why or why not? If so in what ways does it function as an empire? If not, why can't it be considered an empire?

No. Only people who wish to paint Americans as "Bloothirsy warmongers" say that.

Its nothing but an untrue epithet.

Originally posted by Morgoths_Wrath
Can you call the United States an empire? Why or why not? If so in what ways does it function as an empire? If not, why can't it be considered an empire?

I think I am going to say that America is an Empire.

A lot of things America does resemble other empires in History. America does have control. It decides which people will be in power in which country - Saddam Hussein was put in power by the America. Afghanistan's government is the one which America chose.

When Castro dies, America will get involved in deciding who will be next political leader.

Its a lot like Rome has been few thousand years ago. IT used to invade other countries, accusing them of being uneducated and not being advanced. In return Rome was gonna offer them education and advance - or they will die.

Sure its an Empire. But China might be challenging soon.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
I think I am going to say that America is an Empire.

A lot of things America does resemble other empires in History. America does have control. It decides which people will be in power in which country - Saddam Hussein was put in power by the America. Afghanistan's government is the one which America chose.

When Castro dies, America will get involved in deciding who will be next political leader.

Its a lot like Rome has been few thousand years ago. IT used to invade other countries, accusing them of being uneducated and not being advanced. In return Rome was gonna offer them education and advance - or they will die.

Sure its an Empire. But China might be challenging soon.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
I think I am going to say that America is an Empire.

A lot of things America does resemble other empires in History. America does have control. It decides which people will be in power in which country - Saddam Hussein was put in power by the America. Afghanistan's government is the one which America chose.

When Castro dies, America will get involved in deciding who will be next political leader.

Its a lot like Rome has been few thousand years ago. IT used to invade other countries, accusing them of being uneducated and not being advanced. In return Rome was gonna offer them education and advance - or they will die.

Sure its an Empire. But China might be challenging soon.

Its Empire-ish. Often Americans confuse NOT building empires with complacency and isolationism.

Originally posted by JOE NUNEZ
Well Castro is not in power now, his brother is. Why hasn't America gotten involved? Also why would America keep a guy like Chavez in power.

Castro isn't dead yet, though. And America will no interfere where it has no gain.

Originally posted by Alliance
Its Empire-ish. Often Americans confuse NOT building empires with complacency and isolationism.

I concur.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
I concur.

We're still power-tripping from the Cold War. Clinton got somewhat away from that...but I seriously want to write a paper on how Bush has cast "The War on Terror" as a second Cold War.

Its a shame. We need to...expedite...the political retirement of that generation.

Originally posted by Koenig
America is a superpower. but it is not an Empire.

Not yet.

First before anyone can say anything we have to state what an empire is. According to my dictionary and empire is:
"An extensive group of states or countries under control of one government."
You can't debate anymore. America is an empire according to this definition. We sure did take out a hell of a lot indian states to get where we are now. We also took land from Spain and purchased Lousiana from the French.

Imperialism is alive and well here in the US. Example: Iraq.

To be considered an empire requires for a country to have direct control over a number of other territories, not recognized nations. Rome had an empire. England have a (sort of) empire, since they still indirectly control Australia and Canada. America does not have an 'empire.' We have Puerto Rico, half the Virgin Islands, Samoa, and Guam. Hardly an empire.

We have considerable influence, yes, but not an empire.

We HAD and empire. We have our hands in everybody elses cookie jars, but no Empire.

Alliance, why would we have an empire and then lose it if we didn't lose any territory? Stranglove, we have all of continental United States! That's at least four times as much territory as we had when we left the control of Britain! The American Empire is an empire if I've ever seen.

"a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emperor, empress, or other powerful sovereign or government: usually a territory of greater extent than a kingdom, as the former British Empire, French Empire, Russian Empire, Byzantine Empire, or Roman Empire. "

No. Not an empire.