So in effect the threat is non-existent ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Valleysboy1978
Printable View
So in effect the threat is non-existent ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Valleysboy1978
Isn't that why the US hates Fidel Castro? Because he is anti-US and so the US fears a communist or any other anti-US government there could in future be used to create trouble in the mainland US? I am sure Pentagon has studied the geography well and has also found the answers to keep trouble at bay: Capture or otherwise dominate and control the bays. Or extend them. The Middle East, rather the whole foreign policy of the US seems to be driven by this motive, and because of that, the US government is trying to use every possible method of pursuasion: economic ties, economic sanctions and finally military action if nothing else works.Quote:
Originally Posted by space_monkey
.
The threat always exists. It's a situation where the threat is balanced by a counter-threat. Completely different from a threat not existing. Imagine this: You have a neighbour and you have very cordial relations with him. You celebrate together and you mourn together. That's the situation where there are no threats. Then something goes wrong between you both, and one day he finds your dog mating with his ***** and he threatens to kill your dog. You get mad and you in turn threaten to kill his ***** if he killed your dog. He purchases a gun to show you he means business. You purchase a similar gun to show him you mean business too. This situation is that of a threat and counter-threat. He will not carry out his threat as long as you have a counter threat that will effect equal or more damage to him.Quote:
Originally Posted by penagate
.
Exactly, only the perceived threat is real. Big difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by penagate
As for who decides a stable government. I would imagine it is based on their human rights record and various other indicators?
Thats a naive way of thinking it.Quote:
Originally Posted by visualAd
Nukes are very useful in preventing large scale wars between superpowers... assuming a superpower is not headed by a maniac dictator.
If everyone got rid of their ICBMs, then there is a much greater chance of starting a World War 3 with conventional weapons.
Because of the fear of nukes, I think this is why the Korean war, and the Vietnamese war did not escalate to a full scale war between the Soviets/Chinese against the Americans. The Soviet/Chinese supported the parties in that war, but only to an extent, they did not want to become directly involved and risk mutual annihilation.
The reason why some small countries are not allowed to have nukes, is because well it would shift the balance of power, and it would be against the interest of the larger countries. Certainly if I was in the government of a super power, I would defiantely not want any other smaller countries to have nukes, especially the ones that are unstable or rules by small groups/dictators.
The more I live with these strange creatures they call humans, the more I realise how insane they all are. I hope to god I am some kind of alien life form.
You're a monkey just like the rest of us.Quote:
Originally Posted by visualAd
And as far as the natural world is concerned, a pesky roach that has no natural enemies except itself.
Indeed I am :( :) ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by capsulecorpjx
tell bush bt it.....well he himself sittin on wmds(arent nukes wmds???)...n he is tryin to clean the world????...well i believe evry1 shud get rid of their nukes...STARTING WID THE US...and then hopefully we'll c a clean world???
Does chocolate milk come from chocolate cows?
Does virgin wool come from ugly sheep?
Guess there's no virgin wool produced in Wales then, is there?
:eek:
I may have my thoughts about US politics but in the end I'd prefer to have them be the last to give up nukes rather than the first.
That's a bit of an understatement considering that arsehat Castro decided to point a few dozen quick strike high yield nukes that could hit the US mainland in a few min at Washington DC. Yeah, I'd say the US government hates him. :lol:Read ThisQuote:
Originally Posted by honeybee
Who would love Castro? Even his own people try to flee the country by the masses, so he must be doing something wrong...
I don't think we should be fearing nukes as much as our grandparents did. Wars will be (and already are) being waged on new battlefields. It would almost be impossible to shoot one off and have it be effective against the potential targets defenses.
Around 100 years ago, wars were fought by both sides lining up and shooting at eachother. There was always a clear winner and loser of each battle. After troops advance so far, one side gives up and a peace treaty is signed.
Now we're in the biological age and wars can never be won by anything less than genocide. Everyone's resorted to propoganda and espionage. All government's lie or twist the truth to gain favor. Third world nations are being paid under the table to anonymously attack other countries by releasing biological agents to civilians (or other acts of terrorism). Government's are even staging attacks in their own country to rally up the people (reffering to hitler burning the theatre).
I personally don't beleive all of these new diseases just appeared out of thin air. While some might have been naturally occuring, I think alot of the strains are being re-engineered and released. We're just told that they naturally mutate (which has ironically speed up signifigantly compared to the last 300 years) to keep us sheltered from any fear that media and the government doesn't instill.
Just my take...
Thats the best idea I have ever read, then either 1 of 2 things will happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by fahad k
We all become tree hugging hippies.
or the east will bomb america take over the world etc etc
Merrrrrr
Hey man, when your back itches there's nothing like a good tree to rub.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pino
An interesting theory :thumb:Quote:
Originally Posted by sevenhalo
Certanly there are facts we are not being told and it does seem a bit convenient how bird flu comes along just as public opinions show a lack of faith in their respective governments. However it just shows how stupid some people can be. They panic and get a flu jab to onnoculate themselves against it, eventhough they have been told it will not :lol: Idiots :D
I totally agree with you (and you wanna watch out for those sneaky Candians by the way ;) ) but an interesting (and hypothetical) thing to mull in the context of this thread would be:-Quote:
It not being our fault was stated more as joke than anything else. One reason that no modern war has been fought on US soil is mostly because of geography. The logistics of invading (and holding) the continental US would be quite difficult to overcome unless you had a country like Mexico, Canada, or Cuba on your side (not saying that they would help, just saying that's the only way i can think of making it a little easier). That would be an interesting study, that i'm sure the pentagon has already done.
1. If such an invasion was launched and looked like being successful (ie, it's last resort time), would the US then use it's nuclear capabilities?
They've certainly used them before but that was on a much smaller scale and we (the public - not the administration) knew far less then about the immediate effects these weapons had on people and the longer term effect they have on both people and the enviroment. Would a current/future US government be able to sell it's public on the use of a nuclear strike? Would it be able to sell the public on failing to launch it?
Castro had previously aproached the US administration wanting closer trading and diplomatic relations and been rebuffed (mainly because the US had supported the previous regime which Castro had overthrown). Early on he actively wanted to avoid becoming a soviet puppet. Trouble is, he needed someone to buddy up to and US beligerence left him with only the Soviets - and the price to buddy up to them was to have their missiles on his soil. It was Kruschev that put the missiles on Cuba and the US had left Castro with little choice but to accept them.Quote:
That's a bit of an understatement considering that arsehat Castro decided to point a few dozen quick strike high yield nukes that could hit the US mainland in a few min at Washington DC. Yeah, I'd say the US government hates him
Actually, Castro is a pretty good example of how a totaliterian regime can work for the interests of it's people. He overthrew an undeniably corrupt regime and resdributed the wealth downwards (BTW this is the reason many fled Cuba - they were the ones who'd been favoured the previous regime and therefore had the most to lose. He then bought a working health system and full literacy to the people. He's not all good (few revolutionaries are) but you really can't paint him with horns and a trident.
Surley not serious.... :eek:Quote:
I personally don't beleive all of these new diseases just appeared out of thin air. While some might have been naturally occuring, I think alot of the strains are being re-engineered and released. We're just told that they naturally mutate (which has ironically speed up signifigantly compared to the last 300 years) to keep us sheltered from any fear that media and the government doesn't instill.
I hate all these consipiracy theorys too many films children ;)
Conspiracy theory is kind of a dirty word for it. It's such a broad generalization. Yes you can make conspiracy's about anything (ie. Jesus is a guy who came from the future in a time machine. He impressed a bunch of people with advanced technology to put civilization into submission to stop a war caused by free thought and people thinking too highly of themselves).
Sometimes the facts just line up too well not to think about it. Like in this case, other governments have admittedly done this. Scandals and historical operations are kept behind closed doors.
A conspiracy theory is satan worshiping free masons and the illuminati. Espionage and guerilla warfare are facts.
Erm... Cuba is a kraphole. Who are you trying to fool? I take it you've never been there? I'm not trying to paint Castro with anything. I was just posting that the US government generally dislikes dictators who point nukes at them. Yes you are correct that the US government did not like him in the first place. The reasons for that are debatable. Personally, I think Kennedy was a Dodgers fan and was pissed that castro could never get his fastball under control.Quote:
Originally Posted by FunkyDexter
Yep - that's true...Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterBlaster
Full literacy and a national health program when you live in a metal (at best) hut is not an accomplishment...
Cuba was a beautiful island which would have a much different place in the Caribean if Castro had not taken military control.
People choosing their own path (that is what democracy is defined as) is the only choice. There is no such thing as government - we are our governments. There are no secrets that we keep from ourselves (or conspiracies) - those agencies (CIA, NSA - all of them) are simply us - they are us!
Castro does not represent the Cuban people (those still on the island or those who left). He represents himself!
And I knew people who left Cuba - they certainly weren't the rich - simply the smart ones...
Same thing happened in El Salvador...
These days yes. Though it was doing pretty well until the loss of Soviet aid in the 90's. That's the point, Cuba has been denied any opportunity to trade with the West since the revolution, leaving them dependent on the Soviets - who were never interested in encouraging Cuba's economy. No trade and no other form of income = krap hole when you're a tiny island on a superpowers doorstep. Cuba's current state is down it being used as a pawn between two super powers.Quote:
Cuba is a kraphole
...run by Batista's military dictatorship for the benefit of wealthy Foreigners (mostly, though not exclusively) American. The cuban revolution was caused by two main factors, resentment that Batista had overthrown a democratic system in the first place, and resentment felt by the common people as they watched what little wealth their country could offer being taken abroad (75% of the farmland in Cuba at the time of the revolution was in foreign hands).Quote:
Cuba was a beautiful island
Blahahaha, cuba has been a kraphole since 1662, Just ask Henry Morgan, and will be a kraphole for another 200+ years. The soviets were involved with cuba for 2 nanoseconds and then hung them out to dry. Damn, where is the Logic? One very large communist Kraphole fueling the economy of a small communist kraphole? I don't get it.Quote:
Originally Posted by FunkyDexter
The only thing the soviets ever did was blow all their cash trying to keep up with the American Military Machine and design the ugliest cars ever to touch pavement(or dirt if you live in cuba)
Check out this link for a laugh about Cuba...
http://www.orwelltoday.com/cubacastro.shtml
This presumes that corruption and abuse of power are non-existent; which, of course, is nonsense.Quote:
Originally Posted by szlamany
Corruption will be present in any form of government as an individual will always have their own interests at heart. Can't blame them. Good governments however (democracy/republic) tend to minimise that corruption as much as possible but it will never be eliminated completely.
There is corruption and abuse of power at the local McDonalds - people conspire to steal pens from their own work places...Quote:
Originally Posted by yrwyddfa
Church workers steal from the plate every weekend...
Corruption and abuse of power appears to almost be taught at school - bullies always take advangtage of someone. Kids cheat on tests from third grade on...
Our governor (CT - small state next to NY) got caught receiving gifts from a large state contractor. Silly stuff - kitchen remodeling - a hot tub! Not millions of dollars in bribes! But still, that debacle took 2 years of intensive public/legal fighting - he's in jail.
Does that mean that there is a secret society of governors looking to exploit the little people? No - just one more greedy person that can't remember right-from-wrong. Stupid is stupid...
But we charge of government with responsibilities that require that activities occur that remain descreet from public scrutiny. That's from "hooking" child molestors on fake-chat sites, patting down idiots at the airport who look suspicious to stopping drunk drivers.
Raise the stakes to the level of national and international security - whether some Korea or India is ready to point a nuke at some neighbor - or launch it willy-nilly to see if the can hit Hawaii - I would expect a whole lot of private-classified activity. I actually appreciate it...
And one more thing - Castro is a greedy dictator that could care less about the people of Cuba. The US/USSR and other nations took advantage of that fact - and in reality - that made a whole lot of sense to the Russians in the 60's and makes sense every day since then...
General Schwartzkoff trained Bin Laden in Afghanistan in cold-war efforts against the USSR 20 years ago - at the time I'm sure that appeared to be a good idea to those people that we put in charge. Hindsight is always 20/20...
:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by szlamany
Democracy is an ideal; I think a good ideal - but rather like communism it's an ideal that will never be reached - ever.
Corruption, or if you want to call it by it's better name, Greed, is apparent (exactly as you've pointed out) in every facet of human nature.
I don't think there is a solution, today, because greed is too apparent. It sounds idealist (and I know someone is going to bring up Chamerlain again) but I really think it can't be achieved - at least not in the UK.
In the UK we have two forms of democratic Prime Ministers. One thinks that he has attained the power of office to do the will of the people; the other thinks that he has attained power to do as he wills on behalf of the people.
It is a subtle difference; but the difference - if you look for it - is apparent, and destructive.
Really great "musical play" called 1776 - you might even enjoy it yourself since all the "players" are basically British at that time ;)
Quote:
[During the vote on independence]
Dr. Lyman Hall: Mr. President, Georgia seems to be split right down the middle on this issue - the people are against it, and I'm for it.
[laughter]
Dr. Lyman Hall: However, I'm afraid I'm not quite certain whether representing the people means relying on their judgment or on my own. In all fairness, until I can figure that out, I'd better lean a little on their side. Georgia says nay.
I obviously have too much time on my hands if I can google for stuff like that :DQuote:
John Adams: Dr. Hall, I didn't know anyone was...
Dr. Lyman Hall: I'm sorry if I startled you. I couldn't sleep. In trying to resolve my dilemma I remembered something I'd once read, "that a representative owes the People not only his industry, but his judgment, and he betrays them if he sacrifices it to their opinion."
[He smiles]
Dr. Lyman Hall: It was written by Edmund Burke, a member of the British Parliament.
[He walks to the tally board and changes his 'nay' vote to 'yea' on independence]
I do believe that communism allowed for more "greed/corruption" - but so does the capitalist world the US favors right now. Corporate execs spending millions on lavish personal satisfactions...
I'll wait till Scotty beams me up to that "replicated" food - free society - no money - everyone does their "level best" and greed no longer exists :sick:
The singularity is near ;)
Unfortunatley, the use of nuclear devices in space has already been banned by international treaties. Carl Sagan made a good point in "Cosmos" when he said that there could be no better use for the technology then to us it to explore our galaxy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Something Else
/em casts fear trap on all who view this post.
That's right, run; run like little scared losers!
:pimp slap: the D&D power!
(Imp slap works too)
Scotty never had access to replicators until he was found just outside a Dyson's Sphere by Jordi :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by szlamany