America - Teacher and Student of War

[Bliss Sage]

Hi...I'm very reluctant to do this, but I am forcing myself, despite my preference to fade into the background and shun all attention directed towards me. The fact is, I am just starting out ... I guess I might be starting out as a writer now, in any case, writing is something which I quite like to do (by contrast to my regular job, which I really don't like) and it gives me a great outlet for a lot of my thoughts, which is good, because I'm very quiet and don't talk much.

Anyway, in order to get my writing out into the public more, I am starting this thread about the most recent article I have published, which is politically oriented.

The article can be found at this link.
America: Teacher and Student of War

The points in the article occured to me as I observed how much compassion and understanding Americans and the American media have for American soldiers who are returning from war with serious psychological disorders from a relatively short period of making war in a foreign country, while having 0 understanding and tolerance for the civilians who actually have to live and grow up in the war conditions perpetuated by the U.S.

This was upsetting to me and seemed like a very unfair and ignorant Ameri-centric attitude which so flatly conveys the "truth" that Americans and American lives are more valuable than anyone else's, so I wrote about it.

[Angela]

No article appears -- is there a problem?

[Bliss Sage]

Originally Posted by Angela

No article appears -- is there a problem?

Hmmm...I don't know. It works when I click on it. Webby stuff is not my thing

I'll try again...
America: Teacher and Student of War

[Angela]

Oh, I had to click on "trying to understand" and "continued" to get the text of the article to appear.

[JimOfferman]

Excellent article!

[ar81]

If you see History Channel, it praises American power and American military.
The problem US have had is lack of understanding of other cultures.
Still, some people in US might want Washington to be a second Rome.

Romans had military power, yes.
But they also offered citizenship to conquered people, as well as law and good public services, and a good living in general terms. And Romans did not want to impose their culture upon others. And such advantages made conquered people to be willing to volunteer for military service. You had Pax Romana.

Americans have military power, yes.
Americans would not make vietnamese (during Vietnam war), iraqis or afghans to become american citizens.
There is ignorance on foreign cultures, so in the end what is imposed is American culture.
Not earning respect of foreigners led germans not to be respected by french during Nazi occupation. It also happened to Americans in Vietnam.
After occupation, those territories become a Non Pax Romana zone.

Japan did not gain respect of population when they had their Great Sphere of Asian Coprosperity, since colonies were treated as territories of servants. American occupation had also that problem.

Culture makes a big difference.
Just In Time worked in japanese factories and it failed in American factories because culture played a key role.
Even in a primary school, what is good to keep discipline in one group is not good for another. All human groups are different.

US has a culture of war, but it is very distant from the comparative greatness of Rome, in the sense that US does not offer any advantage that conquered people might want.

[Still Growing]

ar81,

You said that the US lacks an understanding of different cultures however I disagree. As I've travelled the world I have found people everywhere are the same in this regard. Whether you're in Tokyo, New York, Frankfurt, Rome or Barcelona, people think they know the world and other cultures but they do not.

This is based upon my personal experience first hand experience.

Also, when we speak of the US being a waring country its true. However the US, I've come to learn, isn't really a country like France or Japan. These countries are really reflective of their nation's people however the US is more reflective of the top corporations.

Since the world is a global place, there are UK citizens who have more of a voice in US politics than Americans. Since the US is ran by corporations via their interest it could be said that the US is really more like a corporation with wealthy shareholders spread out across the world.

[Bliss Sage]

I don't know much about history, and I might have happened upon the History Channel once. America seems to highly value might and muscle, and those values are visible everywhere in things American.

Originally Posted by ar81

Romans had military power, yes.
But they also offered citizenship to conquered people, as well as law and good public services, and a good living in general terms.

I don't see this happening, for the U.S. doesn't even have the proper priorities and values to offer these things to its own citizens, let alone the citizens of the countries it invades. If you look at all that is being said in these elections, you can see that Americans don't even want to spend money to ensure public and social services to themselves, let alone Iraqis. Moreover, there is a threatening atmosphere of hostility and hatred looming in the dynamics between America and a country it invades, otherwise there would be no invasion, I believe, so the motives for American hostile actions would never be of such a nature that one could conceive such a plan of offering genuine help such as public services.

Originally Posted by ar81

US has a culture of war, but it is very distant from the comparative greatness of Rome, in the sense that US does not offer any advantage that conquered people might want.

I agree, on the contrary, the U.S. brings death and destruction and devastating security situations for civilians to places it has no business being.

If the least you could expect in the way of humanity in the average American would be for him/her to realize that, even if the people who have been invaded are not exactly like we are, they are really people, with lives, families, jobs, homes, fragile human psyches...even souls, and that killing one is not like stepping on an ant, then even that would be a step in the right direction.

[Bliss Sage]

Originally Posted by Still Growing

ar81,

You said that the US lacks an understanding of different cultures however I disagree. As I've travelled the world I have found people everywhere are the same in this regard. Whether you're in Tokyo, New York, Frankfurt, Rome or Barcelona, people think they know the world and other cultures but they do not.

Even if this is true (and I question it, because I have also traveled and lived around the world and found a different situation), it is irrelevent, because the people in every other country of the world are not invading and killing anyone else. They live and let live, so, even if they aren't aware of other cultures, they don't impose the responsibility upon themselves to know by killing people in the cultures they don't understand.

[Still Growing]

Bliss, it was said that the American people are less knowledgeable about the world. The American people aren't invading any country, the US gov't is.

[Bliss Sage]

Originally Posted by Still Growing

The American people aren't invading any country, the US gov't is.

Americans are invading countries. The last I knew, the American military was comprised of--Americans.

The American people have voted for it. The American people chose their leader George W. Bush for 2 terms straight, and it is likely one reason that they did so was because they valued his militaristic approach after 9/11. Just because every American citizen has not donned fatigues and a machine gun and flown off to wage war in foreign nations does not mean that only those who have done so are a party to the war. All Americans are a party to any war waged in their name, which is all wars America is waging, even the unfortunate Americans who oppose/d the war--their candidate lost and Bush won, but they still have to pay the price of the wars led in their name.

We are faced with another presidential choice now. So if Americans don't want to perpetuate war, they will vote accordingly.

[Still Growing]

Bliss, Russians elected their leader just the same right? How about Iran? Cuba? Russia invaded Georgia and China is backing the slaughter in Darfur. The US is not the sole agressor just the sole to be judged right.

Furthermore, Iraq was a very unique case. Take the politics out of trying to get your party into the white house and you are left with a very complex situation. Iraq did invade Kuwait first and did bluff about weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore we have an idiot for President. So wouldn't it be possible for other countries to make mistakes?

If you look at history you would see agression in Japan and Germany however now they are peaceful.

If you are to convince me that the US, by nature or by culture is a teacher and student of war then it would only be fair that we compare the last 100 years not only the last 10?

[ar81]

Originally Posted by Bliss Sage

Even if this is true (and I question it, because I have also traveled and lived around the world and found a different situation), it is irrelevent, because the people in every other country of the world are not invading and killing anyone else. They live and let live, so, even if they aren't aware of other cultures, they don't impose the responsibility upon themselves to know by killing people in the cultures they don't understand.

A clear example of lack of understanding...
After the invasion, US troops used dogs to search houses for weapons.
For Iraqis, dogs are gross and dirty animals, so taking a dog inside their house was a greviance. So in the end, people from a town attacked and killed some coalition soldiers because of such greviance, not becuase they were enemies.

Soldiers often come from poor neighborhoods, and they are unlikely to be experts or at least have a decent understanding of other cultures. If you do not understand them, you are likely to offend them.

Originally Posted by Still Growing

China is backing the slaughter in Darfur.

And US has such a high debt with China, so such debt is funding Darfur too.
US taxpayers are subsidizing it when they pay debt, thanks to current administration.
US can-t push China, because China owns its debt.

[Bliss Sage]

Originally Posted by Still Growing

Bliss, Russians elected their leader just the same right? How about Iran? Cuba? Russia invaded Georgia and China is backing the slaughter in Darfur. The US is not the sole agressor just the sole to be judged right.

Furthermore, Iraq was a very unique case. Take the politics out of trying to get your party into the white house and you are left with a very complex situation. Iraq did invade Kuwait first and did bluff about weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore we have an idiot for President. So wouldn't it be possible for other countries to make mistakes?

If you look at history you would see agression in Japan and Germany however now they are peaceful.

To point the finger and say "But look, they're doing it too!" (and that, as if it's right or ok when they do it) is a ploy to distract from the point. More importantly, however, none of those examples are even valid. You name three under-privleged countries and something from history. Germany and Japan learned the lesson of war...which leaves America standing alone in waging war, next to the financially and politically under-privleged countries. There are levels of civility and it appears as if the U.S. is the least civilized of all the wealthy nations.

In conclusion, if you disagree with me and agree with and condone the current American wars and how the U.S. conducts itself in global relations, just say so and we can reach the understanding that we don't agree and let it be at that. I am just now, after all, coming to see that Americans aren't really interested in the lives of people far away who are being killed by the American military machine, or any extension of this machine, or the fact that one day that is going to come around and bite them in the a§§...again...and America will declare war...again...and seek revenge and killing...again...and that is something I am realizing now I will have to accept and find a different way to deal with, so at least I can keep my own peace.