h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

But sriously why does america have to go around throwing more than there weight around as well as spend more per gnp of it's wealth in 'defence' than every other 'democratic' country. So it can punch above it's weight on a purely commercial and capitalist/industry led repressive foriegn policy. I mean I know the US hasn't been in existance that long and may have an inferioirity complex but the aussies don't behave like that do they?
Can you imagine what the world would be like if there were an united arab super state a federal europe a union of african countries and the soviet union still existed, do you think america would be able to go around sticking it's nose in and interfering in other peoples business to make fat profits for the stockbrokers back home?
Z.

well we probably would not be talking or breathing right now. The arab states would have attacked isreal, we would help isreal out, nukes would be exchanged and if we had the missile shield in this alternate universe we would survive for a time, until nuclear winter set in and the world would be dead. That's only one senario. Arabs attack africans and one thing leads to another with the same end. We thow our wieght around becasue we where the leader against communism. Now that the USSR is gone we should return to our isolationism with a big stick policy (Silent But Deadly sounds better) becasue we should be able to crush our opponents but not stick our heads in around the world

We take heat for anything and everything we do. If we where to give all our money away we would be criticised for a conspiracy to undermine all other currencies and to induce laziness in the world!

I think you accurately summed up US policy there, going around with a big stick and beating anyone who won't play the game by your rules!

Scenario 2 the arab states were already in union before Israel was created, not under british control as was palestine, if the russians had won the crimean the theory is this would be very different!

As I see it the US is a bully and that's how it gets it way, wether with military superiority or using the free trade WTO to instigate and win trade wars!

Z.

Perhaps there really is a "Forth Rome!" in Washington.

It is so Orwellian the Ministry of Defence. Huxley was right, look at the world and consider that the US are the Alphas, Europe are the Epsilons are the Gamma-Deltas are Africa and the Middle East.

US is the Babylon of (Iraq) 1800 BC, Roman Empire 200 AD, Mongolia 1200 AD, Imperial Russia 1700 AD, British Empire 1900 AD. A fantastic military might that will be left to decay when the country can no longer support it.

I bow to American Superiority.

but not for long!

We spend more than anyone else because we have the most expensive military in the world. It costs a lot of money to lure people away from the private sector in a booming economy into a standing army. We're offering $20,000 bonuses to enlist, and $50,000 of college money for after you're out. I was offered a $5,000 bonus to stay in the reserves for 3 more years.

We're also very protective of our youth in uniform. The impression that I have is that most countries don't mind sending their armies into harms way. Americans can't stand the idea. Therefore we spend a great deal of money on training and equipment to try and protect them.

You only deploy ground troops if you think no body bags will be flown home, Last time you did was Grenada right and what was that about?
How about turning some of this argument on econimic policies of this nation, a bit about the World trade organisation campaigning for america to get into what ever market they want without the worry of human rights, environmental protection or local politics!

Two Bit, don't take it wrong but I was wondering about your user name - 2bit for cheap trigger pumping for obviously partaking in the army with guns, moron is that for typical sterotyped member of the US armed forces?

*ducks*
Z.

Hello,

Some people have ironically commented on the fact that Welfare is pretty much loathed in America, but the military is also filled with ranks of people pretty much paid for mopping barracks in the odd chance we might have to fight two wars at once (a requirement for unit sizes now being reconsidered by the Pentagon). Still, there is the real chance servicemen can get killed (more often than not in training exercise accidents with experimental equipment) and I've never been in the military myself to comment.

Yes, the USA does try to twist foreign affairs to its advantage. This is what every power does. This is what the British tried to do in the Middle East and Sudan and India (basically weaken countries with infighting so the Brits will always be stronger). This is what the French tried to do in Algeria, Viet Nam, and the Congo. With diplomacy, that's not a problem for anybody. The only real concern seems to be partially a matter of style, and a real concern by allies that they're only valued when they're needed for moral support for air strikes.

I think people don't really mind the USA having an active role in its foreign policy, but they are concerned sometimes by how it achieves its goals and worried they will be not included in the future of geo-politics. There was a lot of justified anger on the European Continent recently over Echelon, especially since the USA included English-speaking allies and allegedly spied on European allies. Also, there is the fear the Europe will become a minor arena compared to the US and China.

Yours,
Jake

The last time we deployed troops while anticipating a war was for the Gulf War. That was about keeping oil prices reasonable. Iraq invaded one of our sovereign trading partners. Since then we've deployed people to any number of silly excursions. It's cost us good men too.

Grenada was a bit before my time. From what I recall, the Cubans were there, and we decided we didn't want them there. If you really want me to look it up I suppose I can.

I don't know all that much about trade issues. I generally think that free trade is a good idea. The more commerce we have with the rest of the world, the richer we all get.

I think it forces the nations we trade with to become freer as well. Trade builds the middle class, and revolutions tend to come from the middle class. It's a part of society that no country can ignore.

Two Bit Trigger Pumping Moron comes from the radio series. It's from the bit with Shooty and Bang-Bang. I use it because I'm a cop, not because I'm a veteran.

I was rarely paid to mop barracks. I swept the motor pool!

It's not like we spent all of our time cleaning. One of the problems with our expensive weapons is that they're expensive to operate. I was always in mechanized infantry and armored units. We saved $20,000 by having trucks transport a company of tanks (that's 18 tanks) out to the ranges which were some 10 miles away.

We spent a fair amount of time on maintenance and cleaning. It cost too much to have us in the field as much as say the light infantry. I'm under the impression that the training tempo significantly increased after I left the infantry when we returned from Desert Storm.

The combat arms don't have a whole lot to in peace time. They are a deterrent. They maintain their deterrence effect by training.

Soldiers do die in training. It's part of the game. We have a lot of equipment that is designed to kill and blow things up. Part of training includes pushing the endurance of soldiers and sleep deprivation. Those are the conditions in which you fight, so those are the conditions that we have to prepare for. Accidents happen.

If we didn't train that way, then our soldiers wouldn't be prepared in the event of an actual war, and many more would be killed.

I'm concerned about the dwindling size of our Army. The Army has just about as many front line fighting units as we deployed during the Gulf War. That doesn't seem like enough to me.

As for our intelligence gathering efforts, everyone still spies on each other, and we all try to embarrass each other when we're caught. No big deal.

(Please while reading this do not confuse the terms Israel and Jewish.)

My concern is with the American support for the worst Human Rights violation. Palestine is getting beyond a joke. The Israeli forces have just exploded 5 police men "by mistake". What would happen if a Canadian Gunship flew over the border and wasted a US Police station killing 5 Officers?

The towns in Palestine have been surrounded by barriers and all the roads except the main road have been blocked off to control movement. They bulldoze the thousand year old olive groves that the economy relies on. 3.5 Million refugees have been chased out of their country and the international community don't react. The Red Cross has declared this a war crime. It is time that the US & UK stopped supporting Israel.

Hi PG I find myself in agreement with you on another subject!

Z.

qick plug http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F19585?thread=98809&post=979781#p979781

There are no innocents there. That's just the way they choose to fight that war. Both sides pretty much do the same things.

Sad but true Two Bit!
They really need to take a step back and look at the future they're creating for themselves.
I'd be quite happy if they both blew themselves out of existance and the mediterrainian got a little bit bigger!!

Tho ol' W doesn't seem to want to step in and pour a bit of oil on troubled waters.

*Thinks Oil, isn't this what the us wants as they stumble towards an energy crisis, nice cheap oil*

Z.

You surely must be awe-struck at the efficiency with which the Bush-Cheney administration has , in only 100 days, dragged us back 25 years. Frightening, frightening......

100 days! just think these two could do to other areas of the world in the next few years, you won't recognise Alaska afterwards!!

Z.

STOP PRESS*****

The US has vetoed an effort by the UN to send international peace keepers to Israel!

Do they want a war?
Have they got a contract to supply arms to Israel?
Has the world gone mad?

*astounded*
Z.

Someone asked why the US keeps such a massive defense force. If we didn't who would? The US keeps a massive defense force because everyone else that we used to depend on as allies have let their defense forces become a shell of their former selves. If the Germans decided they wanted to restore the Reich, who could stop them? If the Chinese decided to invade Japan, who could stop them? If the Russians decided to restore their borders all the way through the Warsaw Pact countries, who could stop them? If Hussein decided to create a united Arab empire, who could stop him? The US was caught unprepared for WWI and II, and it took quite some time to equip and train a sufficient force. The current force can respond immediately to another such problem, giving the country time to convert its efforts into a wartime economy.

Y'all think the army is expensive? You should see what the navy spends in peacetime... food, fuel, repair parts... and they manage to stay busy quite a bit of the time, even at peace. It turns out that it's difficult to train for most maneuvers at sea unless you actually go to sea. Plus, other than lobbing Tomahawks, they're still doing the same job they had in the Gulf War... enforcing no-fly zones and economic sanctions.