Current Events

Dear Arj

The American Empire is falling apart. It is not just us saying it. My own American non Iranian friends say it. I show you some of the signs:

• Major cuts in education and teachers losing jobs. 
• Neglected infrastructure big time my friends in Massachusetts will attest to this. A relatively modest snow storm has knocked out power for days in wealthy towns.
• Massive deficits leading to difficult choices. The military industrial complex is pitted against people. Do they get Social Security or Nuclear Submarines. The people I know vote for Social Security.

Regarding the solution there are big rifts in people as to priorities. North East and South moving in totally opposite directions. One is in favor of a more active government. The other go Libertarian. I don't know where it is going to go. But it is not a good scene. It was such divisions that broke the Sassanids. I am not anti-America just reporting what I see. Republicans prefer to ruin America than see Obama succeed. This is a recipe for disaster.

I do not want to see America wrecked in any way. Therefore all I see is curtailing the military and focusing on America. My opinion is shared by some on the right and some on the left. If we do not do it then there will be a price.

No amount of jingoistic talk of "these babies:"

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_class_submar...

is going to replace good policy.

Re Hard Power

Dear VPK, it doesn't necessarily have to be used against China, but to curtail the Chinese influence in regional theatres, e.g. Persian Gulf, ME and North Africa! It's also not necessarily the best, rational option. But in the absence of a better option, it could allure the more trigger-happy American politicians as a game-changer -- albeit, practically tantamount to exacerbation of the decay of American empire !

Hard Power

is hard to use as you seen it did not work in Vietnam. Not working real well in Afghanistan. America military is made to work against the Soviets and in Latin America. Not designed for asymmetric warfare.

Nor is it designed for a war against China. No I doubt there will be "hard" power used against China. Much more possible that America will follow Britain. Roll back the Empire be done! That is why people are learning Chinese all over the place.

Soft Power vs Hard Power

For a global power to exert influence beyond its borders, the more levers it holds to wield power, the more clout it would have in determining global developments! Chief among these levers are economy and military by wich a great power could protect its interests through manipulation of geopolitical variables of a region, hence the terms 'soft power' and 'hard power.'

Having gradually lost the economic and financial edge to China in most regional and global scenes (latest of which is the EU's solicitation of financial support from China), and considering its current military edge over China, a shift to employ hard power and military confrontation seems more and more attractive as an alternative to soft power for the U.S.!

Dear all

A simple analysis can tell us that keep spending money for our military basis and related technology will eventually paralyze the economy of this country. All you have to do is to look around. NASA is cutting its budget, big companies are laying off, university tuition is way up, 50% Americans don't have health insurance, average income for a household of 4 is only $24,000 and so on. There is a revolution is going on in this country which will get worse if government doesn’t pay attention to average Americans. Signs are all over the cities that says "I lost my job and need work/$."

Mehrdad; COP

It is not obvious to me whose interests is USA serving. Its own national interest are not even well defined. It depends on who you ask. If you ask Pat Buchanan you get a different response than Joe Lieberman.

Ron Paul will give you yet another response. The one thing guaranteed is it is not "Good of Iran". Nor is it bad of Iran as some imply. They just have their own interests. I have been saying that our best bet is to align our interests with theirs.

Otherwise you may stamp your feet about fairness or whatever. Keep saying Palestine or whatever and won't do no good. You want us to do well; make a deal with America. Or we are screwed and nothing will help us. 

COP jaan: Point well taken about ordinary US citizens....

But regarding the government and its interest,I am of the firm believer that such militaristic policies are not in the best LONG term interest of US and many empires existed prior to US and crumbled down just as a result.

So as a concern US citizen, I am firmly against it.  But then again, I know well that my opinion (read average US citizen) matters none when it comes to the powerful military complex.

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Mehrdad

US regime and its citizens....

My dear friend, what % of its "citizens" do you think knows where Iran is on the map, let alone work for her freedom? For all they know we are all a bunch of raghead Ay-rabs hating "their way of life"

......The (US) government, then? 

What goverment on earth do you know of that will put its own interests second to that of others?

Let's not be too simplistic about thses affairs. If we Iranians want a free Iran, we need to start cleaing our own house first. We must first define what "freedom" it is we're looking for. The rest is just yapping.

____________

IRAN FIRST

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VPK: "Obama" in this context is a metaphor…

So, it is meant  to the US regime and its citizen

But that should have gone without needing to be said. 

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Mehrdad

Mr. Obama, Tear down this empire

If Obama were to try he would be torn down. Do you really think it is up to him. Do you know what happens to people who challenge the order. Remember Spitzer and all he did was try to regulate WS a tiny bit.

A nation built and supported....

Based on military outpost around the world, mainly to support puppet dictators.  This fits well with the definiation of an empire.

Mr. Obama, Tear down this empire

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Farokh

Well listen to this. Obama is trying to make big points by trumpeting the news about pulling all US forces out of Itaq this year. Isn't that wonderful! Well, lest we get euphoric, he is moving them next door in Kuwait.

And for all those teachers who have gotten and continue to get pink slips for lack of funds, they need not despair for even a minute. Just walk to your nearest military recruiting center. They have thousands of opening. You say, you don't want to go to the other end of the world and kill people.? Well, you want to eat and feed your kids or don't you? So, stop whining and start marching.

The vagaries of this truly insane humanity, with the bloodsucking mullahs in my country of birth and the bloodletting military industrial ruling in my adopted country.

Bahram

The idea is the Military Industrial Complex must be fed at any cost.

If you remember, the criminal Bush said "War is good for Economy", except he was so stupid and had no clue how to even spell Economy.

Obama is getting his orders from the same Masters, no different.

There is no way they are going to leave Iraq or Afghanistan, or Pakistan for that matter, which they have practically occupied as well.

They are building up to start something with Iran next, not that the Mullahs were not their own creation to begin with.

Like any place else, they are just replacing the Puppets with new ones, who would be more useful to them.

A simple question

Is there any other country in the world with military presence-- a couple of hundreds--on land and at sea in the world beside the financially dead broke USA that must borrow money from China to pay it's own bills? Just curious. All other countries are defenseless since they have no military all over the planet?
I thought this guy, Obama, would be different. Is it that we still keep ignoring the stranglehold that the military-industrial complex has on the country which President Isenhauer warned us about decades ago?
We have to have a military presence in s. Korea to protect ourselves? There are a lot of smart folks on this site. Would one of you explain to me why we are in this mess ahow what the average Joe or Jahanshah American can do to get us out of this insanity?
Bahram g

On related news

my teacher friend got a pink slip as a part of most recent budget cuts. With the redution of funds for education fewer teachers are able to find jobs. Those ships need to be paid for from some place. This is where.

Obama putting a leash on his

Obama putting a leash on his Arab dogs...