Is it really that important what the rest of the world thinks of the United States? Should Americans

This remindes me of that old joke: "If Barbie is so popular, then why do you have to buy her friends?"

If the US has given out so much foreign aid, then why does she have such a large army?

reply to post by FarFromEden


Of course it matters. Those that promote US Power in such hegemonic proportions misunderstand the limitations of our power and the lack of utility of such power in making the world safer. When you consider our military might you must look at how well we have achieved our military and strategic objectives since World War II. One may argue, and rightly so in my belief, that we have achieved very little to match our rhetoric of promoting peace, promoting peace, and expanding our sphere of influence. Militarily, we have not had a major success either- as even the luster of the Persian Gulf War has become tainted by current circumstances.

reply to post by deltaalphanovember OK, point taken. What if the U.S. told the debt holders that if they didn't do exactly what we wanted, the U.S. would issue 2 different currencies. One currency would be international debt script printed on toilet paper, the other would be for domestic use backed by gold, silver, the stratigic oil reserve, our huge grain production, etc. REMEMBER TWO THINGS; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEEDS THE WORLD WITH OUR GRAIN AND OTHER FOODSTUFFS AND THAT CAN BE CUT OFF, AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE DIDN'T HAVE ABOUT 20,000 NUCLEAR TIPPED CRUISE MISSILES, AMONG OTHER VERY NASTY HIGH-TECH DEVICES ON SUBMARINES, AIRCRAFT CARRIER BATTLE GROUPS, YOU GET THE PICTURE.

OP, you don't want any answer or to start a discussion. You want to shout that the US shouldn't mind the bad image they have now worldwide. Fine. The good point is that you won't have to think and reflect on why the US have worked such a bad image. It's not constructive and won't help improving our world but it will save you headaches and helplessness.

You have started a wonderfully divisive thread that will drive non-americans to criticise the US in irreverant terms when in a normal discussion they'd be more moderate. If you used this provocative rhetorics when you were in Asia, I am not surprised you didn't feel welcome.

Foreign aid is a very sensitive discussion point to throw at the face of an interlocutor. Foreign aid usually never reaches the people, it's a bribe to corrupt foreign elites and it is used as such. So probably the people from the recipient countries will angrily answer you to keep it and more so if you imply this money should buy them.
It's your tax money used for questionable actions that probably won't benefit you. You should be unhappy about it.

American individuals have a lot in common with other individuals around the world : the same problems, the same questions about the future and the future of our children.

So who are you fighting ? What's the point of this thread ?

I have clicked send for preview
edit to add : We don't have to spend time working out if you or me should worry about what the others think. We have to examine the actions of our governements and collectively act to try to influence policies that are not for the benefit of the people but for private interests.

reply to post by FarFromEden


With friends like you, who needs enemies?

If that is your attitude toward other countries and their people then please, by all means, stay where you are as you will not be welcome anywhere else when your sham of an empire crumbles - sooner rather than later I might add.

And another thing, you do realise that your nuclear fuel is bought from other countries don't you? Hmm? OK, fine, tell the rest of us to get stuffed - we'll stop selling you Uranium and Plutonium and you can sit on your back verandah wondering why the lights just went out.

Good luck with that.

reply to post by FarFromEden


Ah my friend, I am enjoying the research that I am forced to do in order to back my point.

Point 1: The USSR had more nuclear weapons than the States has now. These nuclear tipped missiles were of no help to them, as their silent revolution came from within due to an unpaid army and a bunch of dangerous outdated nuclear missiles that were too expensive to maintain or replace.

Point 2: The myth of US Grain Exports feeding the world. The US has 3 main agricultural trading partners.

USDA expectations are that in 2011 our top three agricultural trading partners will be: Canada $16.8 billion; China $15 billion; and, Mexico $14.6 billion.

bigpictureagriculture.blogspot.com... us-agricultural-exports-versus-us-trade.html

China lends the US cash, charges them interest, and then uses that cash to buy their agricultural products. This hardly sounds sustainable for the US. "Bled dry" comes to mind.

reply to post by Manouche
Calm down, you could have a stroke and wind up in your EU nationalized health care system. This thread was directed towards Americans asking if they care what the rest of the planet thinks about America, or not and why. Anyone is welcome to post their comments as you have, but you have missed the point entirely. Don't worry, we saved Europe twice in the last century, and we put NATO in place to save it again if necessary so we are still friends. ( Wasn't that last remark a crass and arrogant thing to say? I just thought I'd give you what you obviously expected from me. I wouldn't want to disappoint you.)

Originally posted by FarFromEden
reply to post by Manouche

 

Calm down, you could have a stroke and wind up in your EU nationalized health care system.

At least he wouldn't have to then come home to a multi-thousand dollar/euro/pound bill just for seeking medical help. I fail to see your logic in this.

This thread was directed towards Americans asking if they care what the rest of the planet thinks about America, or not and why. Anyone is welcome to post their comments as you have,

Oh gee, how very kind of you Yourmajestyhighnessness.

The arrogance shown in this thread is astonishing.

reply to post by deltaalphanovember I like your posts. Your views are what I had hoped to get along with my fellow Americans view points. However, the USSR thing isn't quite germane. The USSR was a centralized economy run by the state and everyone but that dumb-ass Lenin knew it would implode in less than a 100 years. Their scenario wouldn't happen here because the U.S. already has cut our military payroll down in favor of high-tech automation. Did you know that those aircraft drones we fly in the middle east to do recon work and to kill terrorists with Hell Fire missiles are flown by guys in FLORIDA?? It's true, the pilots are thousands of miles away and fly multiple aircraft at the same time. The U.S. only has about 300,000 people in the entire military. The actual figure is classified. Plus, do you have any idea how much money the rest of the world has invested in the U.S. economy? Look what happened in 2008 when our stock market crashed...the world crashed with us. What if we decided to be bad guys and froze EVERYONES assets until we got terms to settle our international debt WORLDWIDE. Who could stop us?? The U.S. gets most of our imported oil from Mexico and Canada, a small percentage comes from OPEC Arab states. Mexico and Canada may as well be the 51st and 52nd states anyway. They would never turn on the U.S.A. no matter what happened. I'm not saying what my true opinions are on this subject until more views have posted, I'm just throwing stuff out there right now.

Originally posted by Vicky32Travel advisories for the world? Seems a tad paranoid to me...
The American foreign policy, with its tendency to start wars, and make everyone fairly unhappy means that might well be wise!
Vicky

Yeah, travel advisories make your nation sound paranoid right?

www.safetravel.govt.nz

All nations have them...

Without our "wars" the world would have dissolved into chaos many times over in the past 50 years.

We do way more good than bad when we go somewhere - I have fought in those wars for 24 years now. Ask the little Afghani girl who is going to read for the first time, or the people with cataracts we removed or the Haitians how many meals they had yesterday.

If we closed up shop put up wall and a moat the world starve for one; and probably be at war over the destabilization of such an act by the time the mortar on the first set of bricks was dry.

reply to post by Kryties
That is the whole point of my question....After decades of handing out billions of dollars and saving Europe TWICE in one century, DOES THE WORLD OWE AMERICA, OR DOES AMERICA OWE THE WORLD?? Would it be arrogant if the United States couldn't care less about world opinion, or should we care what the world thinks of us?? Why is this so difficult to answer without twisting it into something I'm not saying??

reply to post by FarFromEden


Who would stop you? The rest of the world is who - you aren't the only ones with a friggin military you know. I wonder how your 300,000 strong army would fend off a land invasion by the Chinese army hmmm? That's after they hacked your drones and flew them back to you to 'clear the way' for instance.

You really believe all that propaganda about America they jam down your throat don't you?

reply to post by FarFromEden


Please don't make it sound like we don't live in a globalist economy where every nations economies are intertwined and dependent on one another, that would just be plain ignorant.

If the US were to give the middle finger to the world and just go it alone you would fail dismally - starting when you realise that the majority of your manufacturing base has been shipped offshore and nobody can build or manufacture anything.

You would, quite literally, be reduced back into the Dark Ages.

reply to post by deltaalphanovember Oh, and as for the grain issue you pointed out....it doesn't matter who actually buys the grain from us, it's what ultimately happens after the sale. U.S. grain is distributed via many countries like Canada, because for humanitarian reasons, the U.S. wants to feed people whose government may hate us so different channels are used. Also, did you know that the U.S. pays a lot of farmers NOT to produce? It's true, we are nowhere near capacity in grain production and still you can find a loaf of bread in my local market for 80 cents.

Originally posted by FarFromEden
reply to post by Kryties

 

After decades of handing out billions of dollars and saving Europe TWICE in one century, DOES THE WORLD OWE AMERICA, OR DOES AMERICA OWE THE WORLD?? Would it be arrogant if the United States couldn't care less about world opinion, or should we care what the world thinks of us??

Yes, America's entry in World War II saved Europe - but only after they were bombed by the Japanese and forced to declare war. Their "saving" was more to do with saving themselves than saving Europe.

I for one am grateful that we do not have a German/Japanese or Russian speaking government right now - I think the world said thank by buying into the American way of life big time. Look around the world and you see we have McDonalds on every corner, as well as Hollywood movies on every tv.

Is the world forever in their debt because of their past good deeds, and should the world overlook their current evil deeds? The answer to that is a simple NO.

Let me ask you something - let's say you saved an old lady from being mugged a few years ago and received an award for your bravery. Now you rob a bank because you have no money due to a bad economy. An old lady was injured as you rushed out. Can you expect to be forgiven because of your past good deeds? The answer to that is a simple NO.

reply to post by FarFromEden


Overproduction of grain causes grain prices to drop worldwide. The government is trying to artificially inflate grain prices by reducing the amount available. This in turn helps reduce trade deficits and helps balance of payments (offsets other types of spending such as military).
This is what any government would do, and is not because they love you.

If they wanted to help other countries with their grain exports, then they would not SELL their surplus to Canada, they would donate it. Don't be so mislead into the altruistic nature of your government. The world is their chessboard, and grain exports are just another pawn.

reply to post by Kryties
Hmmmm....Why is this so difficult. I'm losing my faith in the human intellect by the minute. I'm not saying the U.S. should tell the world to screw off, I'm asking a question; AFTER ALL THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FOREIGN AID, ETC, ETC, DOES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OWE THE WORLD, OR DOES THE WORLD OWE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?? Should the American people care what the world thinks of us, or not?? It couldn't be more simple, or so I thought.

Originally posted by FarFromEden
reply to post by Kryties

 

I'm not saying the U.S. should tell the world to screw off, I'm asking a question; AFTER ALL THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FOREIGN AID, ETC, ETC, DOES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OWE THE WORLD, OR DOES THE WORLD OWE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE??

Neither. 1. You are not that only country that provides aid to others, 2. You are naive to believe that America doesn't receive returns or 'favours' for the aid it gives, 3. The US only entered World War 2 after Japan blew the crap out of Pearl Harbour - after being begged for years by the Allies to help - I'm could go on but I'm typing this from my iPhone which, as you can imagine is a real pain in the ass for long posts.

Should the American people care what the world thinks of us, or not??

Yes, very much so. To not do so displays not only arrogance but just remember - when the American empire collapses - and it will - is it better to have friends to help? Or not, having flipped the world the bird by telling us you don't care what we think.

Succinct enough for you? Or do you have any more insults about others intelligence to display your clear arrogance?

reply to post by deltaalphanovember EXACTLY....NOW YOU'RE TALKING. Why shouldn't the U.S. use food as a weapon the way the OPEC countries used oil as a weapon in the '70s for the support the U.S. government gives to Israel?? Why shouldn't the U.S. take FULL advantage of our economic, agricultural and military power to cancel our debts and do as we please?? Many countries do as they damn well please, why not the United States? After billions paid out in foreign aid and disaster relief, saving Europe twice in one century, forming NATO,etc, DOES THE WORLD OWE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, OR DOES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OWE THE WORLD??