To _this_ American, namely, me, it is apparent that Pax Americana is >the goal. By my definition of "rule," then, yes, America wants to rule >much of the world. No, they don't want to micromanage the details. But >they certainly want pliable governments that will not be _too_ >democratic (as we don't want Islamists elected) and that will be >cooperative with oil interests, military basing requests, etc.
And now that the U.S. is the world's only hyperpower and is willing to >spend the money of its citizens in vastly expensive foreign wars, it >has decided to launch pre-emptive wars to ensure cooperative >governments.
Holy crap! I agree with this 100%. (Does this mean I'll soon be sitting by my window with a shotgun waiting for someone else's oxygen to stray onto my land?)
And this recent, more obvious militant approach by Bush & Co. is only the latest. As far as I can tell, we've been actively meddling in foreign governments since the early 1950s.
The Turkish Parliament's clear "no" in allowing our troops to launch attacks from Turkish soil is an important thing to watch. Note US and media sources as saying that Turkey "supports" the US in our actions (obviously because a couple of Turkish leaders spat out some conciliatory agit-prop that 'we' latched onto). If they start grabbing Kurdish oilfields or making or other trouble for us, watch something happen to de-ball that parliament in one way or another.
-TD
From: Tim May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Foreign adventures and economic imperialism Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 20:11:28 -0800
On Wednesday, April 2, 2003, at 07:05 PM, James A. Donald wrote:
-- On 1 Apr 2003 at 11:48, Mike Rosing wrote:Which is why MAD works. But a regular bombing run on a few oil refineries would put the US in a world of hurt really quickly, enough for them to pull a lot of their troops out of places that happen to be too close to Russia and China. Mexico isn't entirely happy with US policy, I'm sure they could be bribed into letting the other powers use their air and land space for a "limited" attack. The US won't use nukes to retaliate, which was the origin of this line of argument.
If Russia, Chaina and the EU really wanted to, they could use conventional weapons and force the US to at least retreat from trying to rule the world.
This supposes the US is trying to rule the world, which is not apparent -- at least not to the US.
What is "to the US" referring to? To the Bush Administration, to a majority of Congress, what?
To _this_ American, namely, me, it is apparent that Pax Americana is the goal. By my definition of "rule," then, yes, America wants to rule much of the world. No, they don't want to micromanage the details. But they certainly want pliable governments that will not be _too_ democratic (as we don't want Islamists elected) and that will be cooperative with oil interests, military basing requests, etc.
And now that the U.S. is the world's only hyperpower and is willing to spend the money of its citizens in vastly expensive foreign wars, it has decided to launch pre-emptive wars to ensure cooperative governments.
It is economic imperialism, pure and simple. Not the kind that the lefties used to complain about, the so-called economic imperialism of McDonald's and Hollywood and Nike. No, this is the real kind of economic imperialism, where gunboats and bombers are used to implement "regime change" when there has been no demonstrated clear and present danger from a foreign state.
I see nothing in the United States Constitution that supports this interventionist, imperial policy. Certainly no libertarian should be supporting the use of national force to go and change the government of a distant country when its own people have failed to do so.
--Tim May
Getting to Tim May's house in Corralitos: 427 Allan Lane (MapQuest works well). 831-728-0152
From Santa Cruz, south on Highway 1. Take Freedom Boulevard exit in Aptos. Go inland, on Freedom Blvd. Travel about 5 miles, to first stop sign. Take a left on Corralitos Road. At the the next stop sign, the Corralitos Market (good sausages!) will be on your left. Just before the stop sign, bear right on Brown's Valley Road. Cross bridge and then bear left as Brown's Valley Road turns. Travel about one mile to Allan Lane, on the right.
Allan Lane is at about the "360" mailbox point on Brown's Valley Road...if you go too far and enter the redwoods, turn back! Drive to top of hill on Allan Lane. At top, bear left, over a small rise, past a house on the left, then down my driveway. My house will be the white stucco semi-Spanish style, with a red Explorer and black Mercedes in the driveway.
Note for parties: You can park either in my driveway or at the top of the hill and walk a few hundred feet. Don't block any driveways!
From points south of Santa Cruz, take Green Valley Road exit off of Highway 1. Travel about 2 miles to Freedom Boulevard. Turn left. Then right at Corralitos Road.
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