4plexowner, you seem to have a lot of anti-American sentiment. Yet you clearly have prospered living in the midst of so called US “imperialism.”
The United States is the most benevolent superpower in the history of the world. Every other country or Empire with similar resources for their time invaded, raped, slaughtered and subjugated whomever they could reach. They certainly did not help a defeated country set up self-governance and encourage future autonomy. The US could easily have claimed half of Europe after WWII, the Russians certainly did. We also could have pillaged Japan, yet we walked away after a short occupation. We could easily have claimed Afghanistan as a territory and could even now be requiring English in the schools. The same goes for Iraq. What would Alexander the Great have done? Or Napoleon, Darius, Ghengis Khan, Hitler, Pol Pot, Cesar, Frederick the Great, William the Conquerer, Richard the Lionhearted, etc.
Who does the world turn to in times of a crisis like famine or a Tsunami? They turn the United States because we help people. Thousands of Americans spend months away from their families assisting people in other countries. Huge streams of American money flow daily out our country to assist people in need, people who aren’t American and never will be.
Powayseller, while you clearly are a smart person, I’m not sure that you have taken a look at history. Countries without strong might behind them end up with someone else’s boot at their throat. Our strong military preserves our way of life, it does not detract from it. People want what we have and will take it if they can.
To quote the foreword of The Timechart History of War, in the history of the world “there have been only 290 years free of the horrors of organised armed strife (not including internal guerrilla activities.”
Personally, I don’t want to be forced to speak Chinese.
