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RE: This can be solved diplomatically
By myhipsi on 11/2/2010 9:48:58 AM , Rating: 5
It's no wonder people refer to America as the United States of Amnesia. Take five minutes to actually look at the history of your own foreign policy. It would be wise to check out the History Channel doc called "Iran and the west". Since the days of British Petroleum, Britain and the U.S. have been meddling in the internal affairs of Iran. From the CIA coup and overthrow of democratically elected Iranian leader Mossadegh, to the installation of the Shah.

And how about Iraq? In the 80's, the U.S. government propped up Saddam Hussein and supported his war of terror on Iran with chemical weapons, etc. and how about Afghanistan, where the U.S. supported the Mujahideen with cash and weapons.

Every time the U.S. meddles in the affairs of other nations, it comes back to bite you in the ass (CIA refers to it as blow-back), then you complain that they're a threat and that these "rogue nations" need to be dealt with with pre-emptive attacks (aka. aggressive offensive warfare), when your governments historical support of these nations have caused the very trouble your dealing with today.

You wonder why people criticize U.S. foreign policy? The rest of the world remembers, while you guys seem to forget. You've created half of your enemies. Maybe you should take a look at what Eisenhower warned about, your military industrial complex, which has grown to dominate your foreign policy, and spend you into a hole, while you sit around saying, "they hate us for our freedoms".

Don't get me wrong, as a citizen of your northern neighbor, I've visited the U.S. many times. I love your country, and I absolutely love and respect the principles it was founded on. Unfortunately, you've drifted far from those principles in recent decades, and it leaves a sour taste in the mouths of a lot of people while a lot of you guys seem to be oblivious to your own recent history.

RE: This can be solved diplomatically
By Nutzo on 11/2/2010 11:37:51 AM , Rating: 2
Most these are a case of dammed if you do, dammed if you don't. If we hadn't helped Saddam, then Iran would have become an even bigger threat, much sooner.

If we hadn't bogged down the Russia in Afghanistan, how far would they have spread?

Of course you seem to forget our medaling in Germany and Japan after WWII. That seems to have turned out ok.

However, I think we should pull back most our troops (including in Korea, Germany, etc) and eliminate most our foreign aid. And if a country attacks us or American interest (like the pirates attacking US ships off the coast of Somolia) we should just go in and wipe them out. I.E. leave us alone, and we’ll leave you alone.

RE: This can be solved diplomatically
By myhipsi on 11/2/2010 11:54:50 AM , Rating: 2
Interference into Iranian internal affairs goes all the way back to 1953, long before the Iran/Iraq war. So the argument can be made that Iran would have be a different country in the 1970's and 80's, had the U.S. not been involved to protect oil interests.

As far as the Soviets in Afghanistan, well, we'll never know, either way, you probably wouldn't have the Taliban today if it weren't for U.S. support in the 80's.

Germany and Japan are entirely different. Those were defensive in nature.

"Leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone." - I couldn't agree with you more. The founding fathers advocated this kind of thinking.

RE: This can be solved diplomatically
By bug77 on 11/2/10, Rating: 0
