Pax America is a joke. Whatever gave you this idea? Since the Spanish, the French and the English "discovered," America there has been wars, every generation at least.

Since WWII there has been overt military action in Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Panama, Granada, Hati, Columbia, and two Persian Gulf wars -- not to mention significant ongoing covert actions in Africa, etc.

All this is not for "peace," BTW, but for greed.

In fact, In US history the "small," invasions into the Caribbian, Central and South America are almost uncountable. All of America's southwest came from the war with Mexico and there was no "reason," for that war other than seizing land.

And support for military coups and dict...

Pax America is a joke. Whatever gave you this idea? Since the Spanish, the French and the English "discovered," America there has been wars, every generation at least.

Since WWII there has been overt military action in Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Panama, Granada, Hati, Columbia, and two Persian Gulf wars -- not to mention significant ongoing covert actions in Africa, etc.

All this is not for "peace," BTW, but for greed.

In fact, In US history the "small," invasions into the Caribbian, Central and South America are almost uncountable. All of America's southwest came from the war with Mexico and there was no "reason," for that war other than seizing land.

And support for military coups and dictatorships as well as rentless efforts to destablize and influence countries with cash and/or covert actions are ceaseless.

If you hear "The Yanks are coming," you're best bet is to run away. The reason, BTW, that the USA wins it's war OR at least devastates it's enemies is: FIREPOWER, PROPAGANDA (good pr work), and an attitude that mass murder is the way to win:

...aka, the common idea from it's 'Wild West," that "the only good Indian is a dead Indian," or the current popular red-neck idea of: "Kill Them All, and let God sort it out."

If you think America, esp. under it's current leadership, is a force for good and/or peace in this world, you've been, as they say, "drinking the kool-aid."

We need to elect better leaders. We need to kick out the rotten apples.

The leaders who founded the country seem pretty impressive.

The country really is like a comic strip. Mr. Magoo is good although I always thought of Baby Huey.

The idea that "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't" and the fear that Russia and/or China will Rule the World is another joke.

It's not the USA's job to "rule the world," or "keep the (pretensions of ) peace."

Nobody is going to "rule the world." History will just continue with colonialism and imperialism till the oil, (etc.) runs out.

...duh?
How many intelligent humans leave the FREEDOM of the US CONSTITUTION vs. come here for freedom from tyranny? Are you all so arrogant as to assume they all only come here 'for-the-money' and if so, why is there such a push to become citizens?
We're lucky that are forefathers first threw off the tyranny of Great Britain, then established the constitutional government of WE THE PEOPLE.... As long as W-T-P can hold off the tyrants, be they our own elected government or 'outsiders', we'll be the SHINNING CITY ON THE HILL! Perhaps you would rather live where the government is the 'Sovereign' vs here where you are, but not I. I'll die for your right to criticize US for the stupid act...

...duh?
How many intelligent humans leave the FREEDOM of the US CONSTITUTION vs. come here for freedom from tyranny? Are you all so arrogant as to assume they all only come here 'for-the-money' and if so, why is there such a push to become citizens?
We're lucky that are forefathers first threw off the tyranny of Great Britain, then established the constitutional government of WE THE PEOPLE.... As long as W-T-P can hold off the tyrants, be they our own elected government or 'outsiders', we'll be the SHINNING CITY ON THE HILL! Perhaps you would rather live where the government is the 'Sovereign' vs here where you are, but not I. I'll die for your right to criticize US for the stupid actions we sometimes undertake as a 'sovereign nation' because of misguided or uninformed ELECTED LEADERS. BUT I do not want the day to ever come when WE-THE PEOPLE lose our sovereignty, because that'll be the first day of our demise as free humans, free to believe and even deny the existence of the INFINITE ALL - which is to deny one's own existence! Defining infinity as less than limitless does not make it true! GIVE THANKS FOR THE USA! FIGHT FOR INDIVIDUALS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR SOVEREIGNTY AND THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY IT ALLOWS THEM. Fight those tyrants who are undoing the sovereignty of the individual by growing the power of the bureaucracy. Do you really want a bureaucrat to say you can't have medical care...

In Response to TellurideJames51,

How do we know when we've thrown off the tyrants? After all, not all tyrants wear crowns or military uniforms. What does tyranny mean?

It's root is a Greek word, "tyrannos" which was borrowed from one of the Semetic languages of Asian Minor, probably Lydian. (This is important because it demonstrates the roots of the concept as lying in the Greek perceptions of the Asiatic despotism in contrast to Greek Democracy.)

In the Greek sense of the word, (as explained to us by Rousseau in the Social Contract [url=http://www.constitution.org/jjr/socon_03.htm][1][/url]) a tyrant is "one who arrogates himself to power without having a right to it." (Like for instanc...

In Response to TellurideJames51,

How do we know when we've thrown off the tyrants? After all, not all tyrants wear crowns or military uniforms. What does tyranny mean?

It's root is a Greek word, "tyrannos" which was borrowed from one of the Semetic languages of Asian Minor, probably Lydian. (This is important because it demonstrates the roots of the concept as lying in the Greek perceptions of the Asiatic despotism in contrast to Greek Democracy.)

In the Greek sense of the word, (as explained to us by Rousseau in the Social Contract [url=http://www.constitution.org/jjr/socon_03.htm][1][/url]) a tyrant is "one who arrogates himself to power without having a right to it." (Like for instance if someone became President by election of the Supreme Court, and not a popular vote... ) This was often associated with demagoguery and the justification of rule not through law, virtue and reason, but through appeals to crude popularity and fear, as in the leader of an enraged mob. In this sense, Bush would be considered a classic tyrant.

The common dictionary definition in Modern English is normally given as a sovereign or leader who uses power oppressively, where oppressively is used to mean burdensome, harsh, or unjust. I think I can make the case that Bush has done all three.

The Case That Bush is a Tyrant:

0.
The Argument
If
a tyrant is a leader or sovereign who uses their power in an oppressive
way, and if oppressive means burdensome, harsh or unjust, then Bush is
clearly a tyrant, because during his time in the White House his use of
power has been all of these things.

1.

Burdensome
As President, Bush has used his power to go to war.
He achieved this by using the authority of the Office of the President
to fabricate evidence (1), obfuscate exculpatory facts (2), lend credibility to ...

The Case That Bush is a Tyrant:

0.
The Argument
If
a tyrant is a leader or sovereign who uses their power in an oppressive
way, and if oppressive means burdensome, harsh or unjust, then Bush is
clearly a tyrant, because during his time in the White House his use of
power has been all of these things.

1.

Burdensome
As President, Bush has used his power to go to war.
He achieved this by using the authority of the Office of the President
to fabricate evidence (1), obfuscate exculpatory facts (2), lend credibility to falsehoods (3), and engaged in premeditated deceit (4).

This war has not brought freedom or safety to Iraq (5)
and it has not made the US any safer from terrorism (6) and it hasn't
even lowered the price of oil (7) nor will it (8). In the mean time, over the last
4 years and 9 months, it has cost America over $473,000,000,000 (9),
taken the lives of 3,881 American soldiers and wounded 28,582. (10)

Given that we have paid so dearly yet achieved so little, this is clearly a tragic and unjustifiable burden.

2.

Harsh
Using his power as President, and those serving him in the
Executive Branch, Bush has granted himself the right to order the
interrogation of those suspected of knowing about terrorism using
techniques such as wat

3.
Unjust
Bush has used his power as the President to erode he liberties and safe-guards guaranteed to Americans y our justice system and constitution (17). In Guantanamo Bay, under American Juristiction and under his command, the right of habeas corpus (18) and the right to confront one's accusers (19) have been abrogated. He has also connived to corrupt the independence of the Justice Department in order to legally harrass his opponents and protect his cronies. ([url=http:...

3.
Unjust
Bush has used his power as the President to erode he liberties and safe-guards guaranteed to Americans y our justice system and constitution (17). In Guantanamo Bay, under American Juristiction and under his command, the right of habeas corpus (18) and the right to confront one's accusers (19) have been abrogated. He has also connived to corrupt the independence of the Justice Department in order to legally harrass his opponents and protect his cronies. (20) (21)

Thus his execution of power has been unjust in its means as well as in its ends.

4.
Think About It
Are we the worst country in the world? No, not by far. But if you think we are a shining city on the hill, then you are the idiot Pangloss (22) (23) of Bush-leauge propaganda.

How can we stand guard against tyranny when we blind ourselves with such solipsistic arrogance? The rest of the world is not as bad as you think, and America is hardly as pure and good as you imagine.

Consider this: Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and Mao all came to power on waves of popular support from people like you, who thought they were doing something great and were blind to the crimes they were committing until it was far too late. Of course you don't think we are doing anything wrong. Then again, you don't appear to think very much at all - and that is all that a tyrant needs from his people.

Ex Ignarus Ver Dominatius

I found the article to be nauseatingly arrogant and self-serving. A Mister Magoo? Well yes, if you choose to assume that all USA's "blunders" stem purely from a dim-witted, though benevolent retard. Talk about rose coloured glasses! I see it more like a fire breathing, malevolent Godzilla, who tramples and plunders the *gardens* of the world and comes up smelling like roses. Well duuuh!

Let's just all clap our hands and do a little victory dance and keep on truckin' down the same track, eh? As long as it seems to be *working* then let's keep on justifying all our horrendous actions the last decades by excusing ourselves with the words "Aw, it'll all turn out alright in the end" and the pat...

I found the article to be nauseatingly arrogant and self-serving. A Mister Magoo? Well yes, if you choose to assume that all USA's "blunders" stem purely from a dim-witted, though benevolent retard. Talk about rose coloured glasses! I see it more like a fire breathing, malevolent Godzilla, who tramples and plunders the *gardens* of the world and comes up smelling like roses. Well duuuh!

Let's just all clap our hands and do a little victory dance and keep on truckin' down the same track, eh? As long as it seems to be *working* then let's keep on justifying all our horrendous actions the last decades by excusing ourselves with the words "Aw, it'll all turn out alright in the end" and the pathetic Mr Magoo comparison. Yeah, let's do that. If the US comes out of, especially the last 7 years, looking *good*, it is friggin' more than it deserves.

POP!

I'm sorry TN, but I believe that you mean "A giant fire-breathing Grand Zilla de Dieu"

But actually, I also want to respond to the article.

I see it as being correct in many ways, (if slightly fatuous) but wrong in certain key points that it overlooks.

It is right that America has a long history of rediculous foreign policy. It accurately describes America's perplexing vacillation between interventionism and isolationism. It recognizes the strange bedfellows of idealism and bellicosity. It also raises the important point that the world has ALWAYS been slightly skeptical of American foreign policy, and that subtlety and nuance is are generally our strong suits.

But, Mead doesn't fully co...

I'm sorry TN, but I believe that you mean "A giant fire-breathing Grand Zilla de Dieu"

But actually, I also want to respond to the article.

I see it as being correct in many ways, (if slightly fatuous) but wrong in certain key points that it overlooks.

It is right that America has a long history of rediculous foreign policy. It accurately describes America's perplexing vacillation between interventionism and isolationism. It recognizes the strange bedfellows of idealism and bellicosity. It also raises the important point that the world has ALWAYS been slightly skeptical of American foreign policy, and that subtlety and nuance is are generally our strong suits.

But, Mead doesn't fully consider why it is we succeed, presuming that it is because of our wealth and the fact that we are still better than the other guys. This seems to be the natural perspective of someone insulated and oblivious to what the rest of the world is actually thinking and feeling.

Why has American power succeeded in the past? Because no matter what we have done, it has normally been with a misguided since of idealism. From Manifest Destiny to the League of Nations, we recklessly exercised our power, but always in the genuine belief that we were serving some greater moral cause. This gives the rest of the world hope - hope that America's inflamed sense of morality, even if it is dangerous, means we can be counted on to ride in and save the day if they suffer obvious oppression and injustice.

After WWII that has started to change. Although the struggle against communism was initially a moral and ideological one, eventually it compromised our values so throughly that we ended up acting based on profit and self interest.

As early as Bush's first term the world still held out hope. Liberia begged America to send peace keepers as part of a deal for Charles Taylor's abdication. As early as last year there was still the hope in Burma that Americans might fight for the people against the junta.

For many, this hope is enough to forgive our misadventures and even secretly support our noble goals. For instance, in Iran, there remains (believe it or not) a certain degree of affection for America. (They don't blame us, but instead presume that our government is being manipulated by the British, whom they blame for everything.)

But Bush has done serious damage to that because the world does not see him as Magoo. For those living outside the insulated sphere of American propaganda, Bush's agenda is transparently self interested. Where as once people dared hope that America would rescue them in the name of justice, they now say "well, only if you've got oil."

This cynicism about America ...

For many, this hope is enough to forgive our misadventures and even secretly support our noble goals. For instance, in Iran, there remains (believe it or not) a certain degree of affection for America. (They don't blame us, but instead presume that our government is being manipulated by the British, whom they blame for everything.)

But Bush has done serious damage to that because the world does not see him as Magoo. For those living outside the insulated sphere of American propaganda, Bush's agenda is transparently self interested. Where as once people dared hope that America would rescue them in the name of justice, they now say "well, only if you've got oil."

This cynicism about America is what is most alarming. It signals the end of an era. America will no longer be forgiven its boggles, because we are no longer seen as the altruistic idealists that we once were.

This is the change of the Bush administration. It is incontrovertible. This IS the way the world thinks of us now, and that is very bad news. Sadly, right wing nationalists like Mr. Mead and TJ51 will never realize this, because, as classic Americans, we are the best and we don't need to be confused with the facts. Although this is the abominable yet charming trait that warmed the hearts of the world in the past, it also means that, now that the damage is done, we will be unable see it, and unable to save ourselves.

To put my analysis into another form:

America has historically been seen as Superman, albiet, Superman with a bad temper and a drinking problem. He may rough you up on Saturday night when he has a few in him, and you certainly don't want to criticzie him - that'll only make him mad! - but if your town is menaced by a meteor or volcano or diabolical villain, then you know he'll charge on in oblivious to the dangers and give everything he's got to saving the day.

Now, though America is seen as Lex Luthor - an arrogant manipulator so convinced of his own righteousness that he sees his own profit as the only logical ends worth perusing. Deceitful and manipulative, if he offers to help you it ...

To put my analysis into another form:

America has historically been seen as Superman, albiet, Superman with a bad temper and a drinking problem. He may rough you up on Saturday night when he has a few in him, and you certainly don't want to criticzie him - that'll only make him mad! - but if your town is menaced by a meteor or volcano or diabolical villain, then you know he'll charge on in oblivious to the dangers and give everything he's got to saving the day.

Now, though America is seen as Lex Luthor - an arrogant manipulator so convinced of his own righteousness that he sees his own profit as the only logical ends worth perusing. Deceitful and manipulative, if he offers to help you it must be because he's got something else nefarious in the works. His egotism has led him to view the world with such misanthropy and egotism that the only force guiding his moral compass is his own greed, for the fulfillment of his own desires is the only thing he can imagine as moral.

Or perhaps...

We were once a doomed yet sympathetic Sisyphus, condemned by our stubborn arrogance to forever roll the stone of justice up the futile slope of reality. Sisyphus who also connived to avoid punishment for his misdeeds, and tricked the Gods into releasing him from the under world, the first time!

But now the tables have turned. We are Tantalus, the abomination cursed with un-slakeable thirst and insatiable hunger, trapped by eternal fear and desire, neither of which can ever be satisfied and laid to rest. Tantalus, who was honored by being admitted to the society of the Gods, but once there betrayed his good fortune by committing un-pardonable crimes.

No, if America recovers from Bush, it will take a long time. But life goes on. All things change, and my hope is that the idea of America will rise again, even if our government has betrayed it. For me, America is not a country but a spirit, a cavalier love of what is good, a dream of equality and justice. That's what I follow.