General Chat / Wanna get controversial 2?

no no, its not the gay topic, its a political question. and its not a rant. its a research paper i did for school tell me what you think.

The American Empire

Power Plays
It may seem odd, to imagine the concept of an American Empire. It is not just in America’s nature to become an empire. It is a known fact that America’s own beginnings were the cause of imperialism. In WWII America helped save the world from tyranny, but there is also different ways to become an empire. Monopoly is another way to create; to build an economical empire and to keep a worldwide presence in the world in order to maintain the status quo. The United States of America has for the past sixty years kept a hard fist in the world. They have done this to acquire worldly benefits for the American people; at the expense of other nations.
In the 1940’s, the British Empire had issued de-colonilization. the British knew at the time that their Empire could no longer hold itself together and they needed every soldier they could recruit to face the threats rising from other European powers. What the British citizens did not know was that Oxford and Hailey University scholars who had written up the De- Colonilization Act for the house of commons, had also given the nation a second motive, neo-imperialism. The designers of this plan knew very well they would never see the plan ripen. The known fact that Africa had, and still

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has, a population boom going on and its inability to gather the necessary resources that Africa needed to feed its citizens. These colonies were granted independence, and with little or no help in setting up their nations, would they be forever chained to the West for help. Neo-Imperialism, could be best said by post-colonial Ghanan President Kwame Nkrumah “Neo-colonialism is … the worst form of imperialism. For those who practice it, it means power without responsibility, and for those who suffer from it, it means exploitation without redress. In the days of old-fashioned colonialism, imperial power had to al least to explain and justify at home the actions it was taking abroad. In the colony those who served the ruling imperial power could at least look to its protection against any violent move by their opponents. With neo-colonialism neither is the case.” (1)
Across the Atlantic, America, ended WWII decisively and remained largely untouched, along with the expertly use of propaganda, the U.S. took the breaking Britain and its allies under its wing. Out of the ashes of Hitler’s army arose Stalin’s, once an ally to the west, as the new enemy for the West. Stalin was to speak openly that the East would clash with the West in a climactic war. The U.S. however interpreted this as a threat and at the expense of holding talks on Humanitarian grounds, put up sanctions and non-trading against it in an attempt to “contain” communism. At the peak of the Cold War the US. had said indirectly or openly that the Soviet and her allies were planning attacks on the U.S. and Western Europe to situate its own global dominance, but the Guardian summarized in 1968 “The Soviet Union had no intention of launching attack on the west at the height of the cold war, British military and intelligence chiefs privately
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believed, in stark contrast to what Western politicians and military leaders were saying in public about the Soviet threat. ‘The Soviet Union will not deliberately start general war or even limited war in Europe, a briefing for the British chiefs of staff – marked Top Secret, UK Eyes Only, and headed The Thread: Soviet Aim and Intentions – declared in June 1968. ‘Soviet foreign policy had been cautious and realistic,’”(2)
Once the Soviet Union collapsed, U.S. faced a new problem. The “Communist threat” was gone, and because there was no other nation with a large enough army to challenge NATO’s strength, did it seem obvious choice for the U.S. Congressmen wanted to downsize their military expenditures, and look into more peaceful endeavors. The country needed a new enemy, economic recession, famine, aids or as some called it Yellow Peril and Green peril just to name a few. Yellow peril stood for the Asiatic countries, whom had great control of the economic stability to the U.S. By renewing old threats such as North Korea and or China would be able to keep forces busy based in nations all around the world. Green peril was for the Islamic movements throughout the Middle East, plus along side with the instability in the region and the massive recourses with little or no defense. It would be far easier thing to place troops in the Middle East and keep a presence in the region.
In order to keep a control on the region, U.S. had first begun talks and trading with Iran. When democratic elected, Mohammed Mussadeq, who when he was elected
wanted to begin nationalizing the oil industry for the benefit of the indigenous people and
not so much to foreign powers. Western powers interfered by causing a coup and returning Mohammed Reza Pahlevi to become Shan-an-Shah (King of Kings), through
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the successful induction of the monarchy again with the ousted Mussadeq now out of the way, the Shah went on to create socio-economic treaties with the west for the purpose of
better relations with them. The Iranian Elite and foreign investors enjoyed the spoils of the Shah’s “White Revolution”, yet while the State became richer its citizens became poorer. A quote shown by the from British historian and religious affair commentator Karen Armstrong. “There was a rampant consumerism in the upper echelons of society, and corruption and deprivation among the petty bourgeoisie and the urban poor. After the oil price increase in 1973-4 there was a tremendous inflation, owing to lack of investment opportunity for all but the very wealthy. A million people were unemployed, many of the smaller merchants had been ruined by the influx of foreign goods, and by 1977 inflation had even began to affect the rich… During these years the Shah’s regime became more tyrannical and autocratic than ever.” (3)
It was of no surprise that as time went by the anger slowly grew, and with Mussadeq long gone, the people began to look for someone new to lead them. Thus it soon fell to an Ayatollah who was in exile in France, His name was, Khomeini, because of all the killings by the iron fisted Shah, the eventual revolution began earlier than expected January 9th 1978. On this date four thousand protesters flooded the streets of Qum, demanding that the old constitution be re-admitted, the freedom of speech and expression, as well as the return of their Ayatollah. Even as the revolution was under way the Shah fled his country and appointed Prime Minister Shahpour Bhaktiar, who later was forced allowed Khomeini to return. From that point on Khomeini was voted unanimously by the population. This was a big shock to Western powers, as Karen Armstrong
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observed.“Western people were also forced to note that Khomeini never lost the love of the masses of Iranians, especially the bazaars, the madrasah students, the less emininent ulema, and the poor” (4)
Without the “Guardian of the Gulf” America politicians called it, to control. America was going to need to look for a new friend, someone they too could control.
While all this was going on in Iran, other things were happening in Iraq. Abdul Karim Kassim had taken power in 1958, he insured Iraqis would be pulled out of the Baghdad pact which was a US-backed Anti-Soviet treaty, as well challenging western powers by nationalizing the oil industry. Western powers fearing their own economies, then proceeded to send down CIA operatives, who were based in Kuwait. They were to assist smaller parties aiming to replace Kassim, and to intercept and coordinate the Kurdish insurgents on Kassim’s administration. It was until the Baathist party, which was under the control of Hani Fkaiki, had caught their attention, which had close military ties at the time, before the coup Fkaiki appointed Saddam Hussein as the new leader of the Baathist; Fkaiki’s end is still unclear. In the coup around 5000 people were killed, doctors, lawyers, Kassim’s men including himself were brutally killed off. The newborn nation was heralded by the United States, with visits by Donald Rumsfeld when he worked for the Reagan administration. During the first ten years of Saddam Hussein’s reign The nation became the Jewel of the Arab world once again, with ties to the West economically and militarily, as more and more shipments of military arms including biological and chemical agents. When the news spread of the Iranian Revolution, CIA encouraged Saddam and his regime to go to war and stop the Islamic Revolution in Iran
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before it bore fruit and therefore cutting it down to size (5). As The Guardian summarized at the end of the war that ‘which Saddam Hussein started’ continued with ‘encouragement from the Americans, who wanted him to destroy their great foe, Ayatollah Khomeini. When it was over, at least a million lives had been lost in a cause of nothing, fueled by the arms industries of Britain and the rest of Europe, the Soviet Union and the United States.’ (6)
After the Iraq and Iran war, Saddam Hussein who had the help of the CIA and U.S. for his entering power and entering the war, had suddenly changed his side with America in a speech at an Arab summit, Saddam was quoted “If the Gulf people and the rest of the Arabs along with them fail to take heed, the Arab Gulf region will be ruled by American will. – All on the basis of a special outlook which has to do solely with US interests and in which no consideration is given to the interests of others.” (7) Even as talks between Iraq and Kuwait were waning, it would seem odd that a nation like Kuwait would ever provoke a war, and after eight years of bloodshed of a ‘fight to the death’ with Iran, war was the last thing on Saddam’s mind. US Army War College issued early 1990 saying “Baghdad should not be expected to deliberately provoke military confrontations with anyone. Its interests are best served now and in the immediate future by peace…Revenues from oil sales could put it in the front ranks of nations economically. A stable Middle East is conducive to selling oil; disruption has a long-range adverse effect on the oil market, which would hurt Iraq. Force is only likely if the Iraqis feel seriously threatened. It is our belief that Iraq is basically committed to a no aggressive strategy, and that it will, over the course of the next few years; considerably
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reduce the size of its military. Economic conditions practically mandate such action…there seems no doubt that Iraq would like to demobilize now that the war has ended.” (
Signs point out today that Iraq could not afford a war, so why couldn’t Kuwait and Iraq broker a deal? Could it of been outside forces acting? Saddam had once been open to the West and after the Iran and Iraq war, had suddenly changed his rhetoric. As Iraq had looked over its options about its economic situation with Kuwait, as well as America continuous backing as quoted by April Glaspie, US Ambassador to Iraq had repeatedly said that the USA had “no position” on “Arab-Arab” conflicts. (9) Yet when the war breaks out America suddenly shifts its position, even after all sort of diplomatic talks are made and fail, the only possible way for Iraq to survive economically is through war, along with the advantage of a far stronger army than Kuwait. With Iraq retreating after UN starts to drop troops all around its borders, and Desert Storm only lasting a few days, the US begins its own new warfare, economic warfare.
The economic warfare the UN through the US and Britain, was something to ‘target the regime not the people’ (10), but of course it was expected that regime would
sacrifice the mass’s to keep itself intact, any nation would do the same. The economic situation was bad enough after the Iran and Iraq War and at its worse after the Gulf War.
By 1999 it is reported in Policy Research and Development in Washington D.C., that approximately 1.7 million Iraqis died of malnutrition and other causes due to the sanctions, of those deaths approximately 500,000 to 600,000 reported to be children

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(11), this in itself is considered is genocide by UN terms, but no one is will challenge the worlds only super power for over doing its damage upon the nation. Its entire point of course was to “destabilize the infrastructure of the nation” (10), turning the jewel of the Arab once more into a shadowy figure of its old image. The economic warfare was another way along with the constant bombing raids on Iraqi military forces over the last 12 years was of course a way to keep an large army while waiting for a new war to arrive at America’s footsteps, until 9/11 occurred was it time to cut off the Iraqi enemy visage from the armed forces strike list and go on with its War on Terror as a means to keep its global persona intact along with its bases across the world.
Therefore in the few examples I have shown, of the geo-political game that is being played in the world with all the distractions and such, there is a bigger picture. By all means the US is of course securing its hold economically, but at the expense of other nations. It is as if Saddam was correct in his saying at the Arab summit before he turned against the west, any nation that is not going for the sole purpose of feeding the West and wants to work on its own future can almost certainly be said that it would never be accepted to the West.

Citations

Nkrumah, Kwame, Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism, Thomas Nelson and
Sons, London, 1965 (1).
The Guardian,1/1/04. (2). subscription website.
Armstrong, Karen, “The Battle For God”, op.cit. p. 299 (3).
Armstrong “Battle For God”, p 323, (4).
Ahmed, Nafeez, “ Behind the War on Terror” p 49 (5).
Pilger, John ‘ Squeezed to Death” The Guardian, 4 March 2000 (6).
Schoenman, Ralph, Iraq and Kuwait: A History Suppressed, Veritas Press, Santa Barbara,
CA, and pp. 11-12 (7).
Fankel, Glenn, “Imperialist Legacy; Lines in the Sand”, Washington Post, 31 August 1990. (.
New York Times, 23 September 1990, 17 July 1991; The Independent, 30 December 2000. (9).
“The Gulf War and its Aftermath”, The 1992 Information Please Almanac, 1992 p. 974.
(10).
Foreign Policy and Research, http://www.fpa.org/t...topics_info.htm, Washington D.C. (11).

By all means the US is of course securing its hold economically, but at the expense of other nations.

Yeah, it's true. And Americans have just begun to pay the price. September the 11th was the first shot fired in a war against America and their quest for domination by being a 'bully'.

One point I want to make clear, and yes, Posix, I'm looking at you when I say this:

America is not it's goverment. America is a beautiful place with nice people, rights and laws to keep us free. and men and women willing to die to defend that. On the whole, it's wonderful.

Then there's the government, always overstepping the boundaries that it should have set for itself, pissing everyone off in acts of selfishness. Yes, Phil, and anyone else, I'm telling you to pull your head out of your ass not to judge based on nationality. Don't hate America, and what it stands for - what America stands for and what the Government tries to pull are two very different things. Don't judge people just because of the country they're from - I know that I don't, and any decent person doesn't.

Then there's the government, always overstepping the boundaries that it should have set for itself, pissing everyone off in acts of selfishness. Yes, Phil, and anyone else, I'm telling you to pull your head out of your ass not to judge based on nationality. Don't hate America, and what it stands for - what America stands for and what the Government tries to pull are two very different things. Don't judge people just because of the country they're from - I know that I don't, and any decent person doesn't.

But, America is a democratic society, hence the people elect who will run their country, which, ulitmitly relfects the general views and thoughts of the public majority.

But, America is a democratic society, hence the people elect who will run their country, which, ulitmitly relfects the general views and thoughts of the public majority.

The day the majority of the United States makes an educated vote on their leaders is the day we stop having all these problems in our government.

Tell me when we've ever had a voter turn-out that reflected the popular opinion. Half the people in this damn country don't even vote, how can that reflect the popular opinion of the people?

Tell me when we've ever had a voter turn-out that reflected the popular opinion.  Half the people in this damn country don't even vote, how can that reflect the popular opinion of the people?

Agreed.

I think our Government right now is doing the right thing, at the wrong time. Helping Iraq is the right thing to do, but it's not our place, it's the United Nations job (which IMO, is a joke). Our country right now has a seven billion dollar debt, two-thirds of which is to the American People it self.

We can only see how the American Government reacts day by day, in my opinion, Bush is doing a fairly good job so far (despite the 100+ billion dollar war....), the economy is on the rise, stocks are inclining, jobless percentage is down....looking fairly good for America's Economy...

Oh well.

you really think Bush Jr. won that election fair and square?

daddy WAS in charge the CIA, and like the CIA saying goes "once your in the Agency, they have you for life"

daddy knows a lot of secrets, and tricks. I'm pretty sure he could help jr.