Armies are supposed to be used for self defense, not invading other countries when we aren't wanted and it's not our responsibility, correct? Are we still in the Cold War era where we want every Country to be a Democracy? I think it's rediculous that the US seemed to adopt this policy of being everyone's big brother. I'm a United States citizen and I don't give a sh** about all those third world countries that we're currently sticking our nose in. Why do we continue to make other countries' business our business? It's almost as if we're trying to control the rest of the world. It's not up to the United States to keep peace in countries that aren't ours, so why the hell do we continue to do so? Sure, it'd be the humane thing to do to stick up for the opressed guy in a third world country, but a responsibility? I don't believe so, and I'm not willing to die for a lost cause such as that just so we can put another chip on our shoulder, and I don't think anyone else in this country should have to die for such a cause.

My point is, the US seems openly hostile to other countries when we don't need to be. I'm not just referring to Iraq, I believe we had to step up and put Saddam in his place, but there are other campaigns going on that I don't feel are necessary, and this seems to be setting a precedent that we're going to go around helping out the little guy with our own men's lives, or at least that's the way Bush seems to want it to be. And that's not what our military should be used for, it's for self defense, not open hostility whenever we get the chance.

Don't get me wrong though, if there was a draft, I would fight and die if that's what was to happen. But I think we're currently just causing more problems than we are solving anything, and it's only going to cause more unnecessary death for our soldiers.

Quite simply because extremists from other countries have come to the US and have attacked us. We are defending ourselves "against those" who would kill anyone that doesn't belong in their group. The extremists have made it clear, they will attack not only the US, but anyone and everyone, so we have to root them out. That's the only solution I see in the problem of terrorism.

If radicals/extremists and some moderates that might think on joining the radicals see that we are for real and will root every one of them, they might think twice before doing any other attacks. The best defense is a "strong offense."

Are there other reasons why we are in Iraq? of course, Iraq is not the only country that has extremists and have shown they will kill people in mass attacks. The war on terrorism doesn't end in Iraq.

That's a very good point, Muaddib. I think the problem is that the country that harbors the terrorists may not even know they do or doesn't believe in the terrorist/radical cause, but we're still invading the country to root out the terrorists? And to what end? There will always be somebody that doesn't like somebody else and there will always be terrorists. The US got it's taste and now is going ape # over trying to destroy all terrorist threats everywhere, when we already knew that something along the lines of September 11 could and probably would happen, yet we did nothing at the time. And now we're spreading our military all over the world for a "War on Terrorism", when terrorism had already been around and affecting other countries constantly.

Are there other reasons why we are in Iraq? of course, Iraq is not the only country that has extremists and have shown they will kill people in mass attacks. The war on terrorism doesn't end in Iraq.

The war on terrorism doesnt even start in Iraq. Im sure after the U.S. loses in Iraq the war on terrorism will move somewhere easier. Maybe Florida, didnt they allow terrorists to train there.

Just how do you suggest we go about losing the war in Iraq?

We've already deposed Saddam and completely obliterated large-scale organized resistance, outside of a few scattered pockets of a couple hundred men here and there. We have >millions of servicemen, technology decades beyond the very best possessed by the Iraqi insurgents, and an organized government behind it all.

We're not going to give up and go home without a damned good reason to do so. That's just not what the U.S. does.

Are my eyes lying to me or is that a post I read from LostProphet?

Is the U.S. too hostile??

I pray that I live to see the day that the U.S. becomes as openly hostile to its enemies as they are to it on a regular basis. There is only so much (c) people should be expected to take in the name of being magnanimous all of the time.

Originally posted by Muaddib
Quite simply because extremists from other countries have come to the US and have attacked us. We are defending ourselves "against those" who would kill anyone that doesn't belong in their group. The extremists have made it clear, they will attack not only the US, but anyone and everyone, so we have to root them out. That's the only solution I see in the problem of terrorism.

If radicals/extremists and some moderates that might think on joining the radicals see that we are for real and will root every one of them, they might think twice before doing any other attacks. The best defense is a "strong offense."

Are there other reasons why we are in Iraq? of course, Iraq is not the only country that has extremists and have shown they will kill people in mass attacks. The war on terrorism doesn't end in Iraq.

Are you even sure that we are fighting the people who attacked us?

Better yet, are you sure that those we fight are even a threat to us?

Originally posted by Crazyhorse
Is the U.S. too hostile??

I pray that I live to see the day that the U.S. becomes as openly hostile to its enemies as they are to it on a regular basis. There is only so much (c) people should be expected to take in the name of being magnanimous all of the time.

I couldn't agree more - almost every mid east country condones anti US behavior in 1 form or another. 9/11 wasnt the first terror attack against us - far from it. We had the USS Cole (i believe that was the name of the ship) the bombing of the marine barracks, the first WTC attack........It is about time that we muscle those people around.

I hope I live to see the day that the world is so fearfull of US retaliation that no country would dare support our enemies. Personally I would like to see OBL head on a pole, put on global TV to show what will hapen to leaders of countries that don't ACTIVLY fight terrorism in their own country.

Horrible. Tales on the news this morning of armed militia walking freely in the streets, under the nose of US military. The US not allowed to fire unless fired upon. Iraqi citizens acting as lookouts for the terrorists, spotting the US troops positions for them. Ambulances being used as re-arming vehicles, US not allowed to challenge them. All this resulting in more US troops getting shot in the back.

Also I caught the tail end of a story about one of the 9/11 terrorists having done communicating and plotting out of his office in BAGHDAD prior to 9/11.

Yeah, the US is being too hostile.


________________________

I'm a United States citizen

Congratulations - go buy yourself a cookie.

and I don't give a sh** about all those third world countries that we're currently sticking our nose in.

It was because of plonkers like you that there was a second world war - an isolationist nation does not go along with the modern world.

Why do we continue to make other countries' business our business?

As the most powerful nation on the Earth, it is your responsibility. Before 1956 when the British Empire fell, it was the job of the British to police the world with the Royal Navy protecting shipping and keeping channels clear for commercial traffic. Our armies trying to keep down extremisim and prevent dictators from global domination (hello what do you think we were doing in Europe in 1939??).

The U.S.A. has 2% of the population of this Earth, yet consumes 25% of its resources and is the greatest factor in greenhouse emissions. Europe has already ratified the Kyoto agreement - why should you yanks be the last into everything??

It's almost as if we're trying to control the rest of the world.

If a world peace does happen, all your resources will be secured, your citizens will be safe and everyone can drink tea and eat muffins.

It's not up to the United States to keep peace in countries that aren't ours, so why the hell do we continue to do so?

See above.


I am not having an America bashing and I apologise to those who have to read this - I just hate w*ankers like LostProphet who think themselves god and superior to everyone else in the world.

"I am not having an America bashing and I apologise to those who have to read this - I just hate w*ankers like LostProphet who think themselves god and superior to everyone else in the world."

Perhaps you should take a look in the mirror, buddy.
I don't concider myself superior to anyone else in the world and don't think that I have all the facts. It's my personal opinion that the US could be acting too hostile in the world (note the question mark in the topic name). For some reason you seem to think of me as a self absorbed moron who thinks he knows everything about the world and politics, which I'm not.

Also, I never said the US should be an isolationist nation, isolationism would involve cutting ourselves totally off from the rest of the world, when I'm just saying that our military seems to be in quite a lot of places that we may not have the responsibility to be, and our men are dying, only to be stabbed in the back by the very country we were originally sent in to protect from scum like Saddam.

Besides all this, I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong. We should get rid of the scum in Iraq, it just pisses me off that our men are dying for those cowards and psychotic radicals.

I apologise - I was too harsh.

those cowards and psychotic radicals

Apparantly, even Bin Laden wasn't a psychotic radical and was, although shy, a perfectly normal and healthy person with a future. He was brainwashed at University (some documentary on Discovery).

Most of these extremists are brainwashed kids. For every 10000 people in Iraq, only 1 is intent on killing Americans. It is not about trying to get the coalition out of Iraq. Bush has already announced his plans to withdraw in June. So, by all accounts the extremists have won. But, they still persist in the bombings.

That shows that they don't care about peace. They just want to kill for killings sake and there will never be stability as long as the coalition stays. America has done a sterling job in freeing the people from a tyrannt, and it is even time to move on to the next campaign. But staying does only prolong the agony. Notice you don't hear about British troops getting slaughtered everyday. It is just the Americans that are being targeted. It is time for the US to withdraw.

You would not be retreating - you would have won the war and are just allowing the country to manage itself in its own reconstruction.

Let the UAE take over and allow free elections.

"The Nation that fears becomes the Nation feared". That is exactly what is happening in this country and what others are feeling about us.