It's even stranger to think that the idea of our military having only one tank and one machine gun is unequivocally a bad thing. Is it absolutely necessary that we be ready to kill someone at all times?
Honestly, a lot of the world relies on our military. If all of our military were suddenly reduced to one tank, all hell would break loose across the world. That said, our military definitely needs to improve its spending efficiency.
Horseshit. Most of the world resents our military and our common use of it to force on will on others. Nothing's worse than be 'liberated' by the American army. This whole ISIS thing is the result of the idiot Bush playing cowboy. I've been in the military and it's a major league sack of shit despite the silly hero worship going on these days. In 1973 I was harassed on a bus in San Francisco for being a 'baby killer' and they were right.
While your view has it's merits as there is definitely a general anti-US-army sentiment around Europe that does not hold true for the countries. Without the US having such a big military presence all around the globe either defense budgets elsewhere would blow up or a lot of international peacekeeping missions wouldnt get done. The US provides to backbone for most larger NATO operations and a lot of those wouldnt be doable without the US.
It pretty much is. Iraq was quite certainly a mistake but things like fishing up refugees out of the mediteranean or protecting ships from pirates in Somalia are also done by military vessels. I'm certainly not a fan of unnecessary military action and dabbling in regions that should be left alone but there is a lot of stuff some large military force is needed for. Either that's the US or other countries have to step up their game. In this time isolationism isnt really an option anymore.
You're making excuses for us being the bully of the planet. And we do none of these things out of generosity or good will. It's own serving our own interests. Usually, resentment is earned.
Ideally, a military only exists to make itself irrelevant. That doesn't seem to be the case with America's military today. Look at our defense spending compared to that of the rest of the world.
It's even stranger to think that the idea of our military having only one tank and one machine gun is unequivocally a bad thing. Is it absolutely necessary that we be ready to kill someone at all times?
Honestly, a lot of the world relies on our military. If all of our military were suddenly reduced to one tank, all hell would break loose across the world. That said, our military definitely needs to improve its spending efficiency.
Horseshit. Most of the world resents our military and our common use of it to force on will on others. Nothing's worse than be 'liberated' by the American army. This whole ISIS thing is the result of the idiot Bush playing cowboy. I've been in the military and it's a major league sack of shit despite the silly hero worship going on these days. In 1973 I was harassed on a bus in San Francisco for being a 'baby killer' and they were right.
While your view has it's merits as there is definitely a general anti-US-army sentiment around Europe that does not hold true for the countries. Without the US having such a big military presence all around the globe either defense budgets elsewhere would blow up or a lot of international peacekeeping missions wouldnt get done. The US provides to backbone for most larger NATO operations and a lot of those wouldnt be doable without the US.
You say that like it's a bad thing.
It pretty much is. Iraq was quite certainly a mistake but things like fishing up refugees out of the mediteranean or protecting ships from pirates in Somalia are also done by military vessels. I'm certainly not a fan of unnecessary military action and dabbling in regions that should be left alone but there is a lot of stuff some large military force is needed for. Either that's the US or other countries have to step up their game. In this time isolationism isnt really an option anymore.
Recognizing arrogance, ignorance, hubris, failure and military cultism for what they are isn’t isolationism.
You're making excuses for us being the bully of the planet. And we do none of these things out of generosity or good will. It's own serving our own interests. Usually, resentment is earned.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
To some extent, yes. But it seems even the threat of war is enough these days.
“You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.” — Albert Einstein
The Irony of that old Roman phrase is never lost on me. Einstein also lamented that he told Rosevelt about atomic weapons. Same ironic situation.
Ideally, a military only exists to make itself irrelevant. That doesn't seem to be the case with America's military today. Look at our defense spending compared to that of the rest of the world.
It's like people are afraid even to entertain the notion of a world without war lest they be labeled a limp wristed hippy.