Post by mystery on Oct 5, 2018 4:25:23 GMT
You claimed I was feeling fear and paranoia, so I pointed out that I have traveled through the Middle East solo, which I would not have done if I was paranoid and afraid.
Let me explain something for you. After the US got pulled into the ridiculous war know as World War I, we became isolationist. If a conflict didn't directly involve us, then we didn't get involved. Hitler rose to power, we did nothing. Germany began invading other European countries, and it wasn't our problem. We didn't get involved in the war until Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and the entire world was in crisis.
After the devastation of World War 2, the US was determined not to make the same mistake again. If a country became belligerent and began invading their neighbors, then they had to be stopped. We became the world's sherriff. Have we made mistakes? Certainly. But if the US suddenly decided to turn back to isolationism, how long do you think it would take Russia or China to begin gobbling up neighboring countries? Personally, I don't want to find out.
There have been times when I wished we could stop being the world police, but every time we pull back, Russia does things like invade Crimea, and China begins expanding territory into the South China Sea. Testing the boundaries.
It's fine if you hate the US, and Americans. You have that right. But would you really prefer us to go back to isolationism? Just curious.
You claimed you were afraid as an American about travelling on planes and spoke for other Americans as well feeling the same so I called you out on it. Then you say you travelled solo in the Middle East. The paranoia aspect was your own generalized point which was wholly transparent because you contradicted yourself by your own actions. You weren't really afraid after all due to your own admission here. So what exactly is it that you feel?
There is also a condescending tone happening with your...Let me explain something to you...opening, as though I don't get it. It this because I wasn't supposed to counter your point? With the comments I have made about American hypocrisy and paranoia, this is largely establishment views that filter down from the top to the people. I commented on the US mentality of superiority and neurosis and that does not mean hate. Hate is a strong term and you have distorted my stance into hate.
Regarding isolationism with the US, last century was a totally different kettle of fish. While I am anti-military and militant behavior, to my understanding, WW1 was a war devised by the ruling class and royals to pit the working class against each other due to fear of revolution. They made it about nationalism and border protection and it was in hindsight a futile and pointless war with a devastating loss of male life. No-one appears to seem clear on what the war was really all about, except it was about keeping the status quo in place.
WWII appeared to have a different dynamic and people had some sense of cause here. It was atrocious nonetheless, but personally, I also feel that with the US waiting until Pearl Harbor to get involved, because that was seen as a direct attack on the US, it may not have escalated as long as it did and the holocaust could have been prevented, or the impact lessened. Of course there were appalling and self-serving government and military agendas behind it all as well. Was this about pitting the working class people against each other again. Norman Bethune on the secret of war:
I'm sorry, but I don't have time right now for a long reply. I have to go see some lemurs.
In brief, I never said that I was afraid. That was your assertion. I said that 9/11 had tangible effects that we see every time we go to the airport, which is true. It's not fear that I feel, but more a sense of collective trauma, an old wound, a sense of loss and sadness. The attack happened in New York and DC, but it was an attack on the entire country, too. And for a moment, we came together as one nation, one people, and even through our sadness, it was really quite beautiful.
Isolationism ended at Pearl Harbor. We have not been isolationist in over 75 years. So, I'll ask you again: would you prefer that we go back to isolationism?