I am starting this as a joint debate and poll on the actions of America worldwide. Please vote, then explain why below.

My question is this: Does America have the right to meddle in the affairs of sovreign countries? In cases such as Iraq, Vietnam, Chile and countless others the United States has intervened in foreign countries... often without UN support. Were these infringements justified? I hope that there are many people who take the time to let their voices to be heard.

XAOS

The U.S.A. says it stands for freedom!!

Freedom to do what the U.S.A. tells YOU to do!

In other words "Do as we say, not as we do!"

Things I like about the USA:

- I can come and go as I please and visit family and friends there
- encourages R & D more than most countries
- theme parks
- Grand Canyon and Yosemite
- I used to be able to speak freely without fear of repercussion

Things I dislike about the USA:

- McDonalds, obesity and wastage of global resources
- too many in the population know nothing about the world except what they learn through spoon-fed media presentation
- far from being the land of freedom and opportunity, it's a growing police state under this useless and mendacious administration
- spiralling corruption in government, judiciary, commercial sector and electoral process (USA may as well be Iraq since 2000)
- inane gun laws
- largest stockpiling, manufacture and selling system for WMDs in the world
- abysmal foreign relations record and global citizenship

On balance, I don't want the USA as my "planetary policeman".

Actually I didn't mean to kill this discussion.

Always interested in the rationale for a superpower taking a unilateral decision to turf out on-the-job UN officials and invade a foreign country. I just don't buy any of the reasons promulgated by the official propagandists.

Im against US involevement in any conflict unless its a direct threat to security. Even American interests, unless dire, are usually the property of private coorporations. Hardly worth shedding blood over. If anything, we should drive for self sufficency, like devloping new cleaner energy and such.

I dont care if a country is eating babies, butchering millions, ect, as long as they do it in thier own borders, I could care less.

I dont want to be the worlds policeman either.

Then you have to give up your power.

Gladly leveler. Gladly.

I just want to say that Skadi's avatar is really creepy.

XAOS

Anit is XAOS?

I was having trouble uploading my own elfy personal avatar, so I went to the free avatar site, and saw this one. It gave me the chills, its really evil, so i picked it

It looks rather elfin, in an evil way of course

XAOS

I'm with Skadi.

I wish there was a need for aircraft electricians and avionics techs in New Zealand. All of this police duties of the world crap gets tedious. Being the firepower for the U.N., a community of U.S. bashers, is angering.

Masked Avatar, there are many of the reasons that you dislike America that I don't see, but the only one I am curious enough about to ask is the growing police state. I'm not hindered in the least by any Homeland Security directive or order, are you where you are? If so, how? I'm really curious as this country is kind of spacious and you may be experiencing something I haven't even heard about - yet. Clue a brother in, will ya?!?

TC

I'm not affected by the insidious and freedom-stripping Homeland Security smokescreen either except by the unknown consequences of my posts here. I have chosen not to live in the USA.

Evidence for the police state comes in observing the extra powers assigned to authorities over time.

* Cointelpro 1956-71 FBI actions against dissident groups
* Operation Garden Plot civil disturbance planning 1968-92
* US Patriot Act 1 & 2
* Total Information Awareness
* Operation TIPS
* Neighbourhood Watch "Amerisnitch"

How much more do you need? There is more at work than even in the most imaginative "Big Brother" totalitarian fiction.

A police state exists when federal and state police mechanisms:

*serve the central government instead of serving the citizens
* enforce the policies of the central government instead of responding primarily to criminal misdeeds
* spy on and intimidate citizens

All these conditions exist in the US.

In a free society, police agencies respond to evidence of planned and actual criminal activity. Police officers in a free society keep the peace; they do not investigate citizens and activities unless there is some reason to investigate. In a free society, police do not investigate citizens' attitudes toward the central government, only their action. Citizen dissent is lawful in a free society and police agencies do not investigate citizens' attitudes toward the criminal justice apparatus.

Those conditions no longer exist in the US.