Does America HAVE to be a Force for Good (and Why)?

[Mayhem]

I feel that this is a valid question, given the current landscape around here.

Who ever said that America has to be a force for good. And when/where was this meeting held?

America, like all countries, is merely a place to live. We have our Bill of Rights, which we haven't always followed. We have had, and still have, some pretty depressing issues with civil rights. Each Amendment in our Constitution has been stretched and snapped back while we continue to define who we are as a nation.

My point: The only "good" we are obligated to do, applies to the citizens who live within our borders.

My question: Who the fuck invited the rest of you?

America does not exist to make life easier for Aussies, Frenchies, Germans, South Africans or anyone else. Handle your own problems. If you need a babysitter or someone to call "Daddy", try Canada. See if Norway is up for the job. Better yet, let's just hand over the reigns entirely to the EU, seeing has how they did such a wonderful job with Bosnia.

Sitting on your ass, in your own country, blaming America for your lot in life is the definition of being a pussy and a douche-bag.

If you're that hot and bothered about a "Force for Good", become one. If you can't, quit your bitching about whoever else isn't also.

 

[mrtrebus]

But America has declared itself a force for good in the world. Believing itself to be the world's police & exporting what it perceives as the right way to live, mainly of course for self-interest. He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. It all seems to stem from the outmoded notion of Empire & being a world Superpower.

 

[busenbust]

constitutionally speaking , it prob. has to be a force for good. it owes it to itself .

 

[BlueBalls]

Nope. If it serves US interests to be what it assumes is "a force for good" in certain situations then I'm sure it'll do what needs to be done. But the US is under no obligation to be a force for good in the world.

 

[yes yes yes]

A wise man once said to me: "Be nice to people on the way up as you will meet them again on the down." Or as Jane Burgess once said.

:yesyes: :yesyes: :yesyes: :thumbsup:

 

[D-rock]

America being a force for good would sure beat the hell out of it being a force for things that are bad. There is really no such things as a force for neutrality in the world and never will be in a realistic sense as connected as the world is now. We should at least stop doing all the wrong stuff around the world we are now.

 

[FreeOnes_Anders]

So... let me get this straight...

We, as in the rest of the world shouldnt come crying to America for help...

Shouldnt America then return the favour and stop fucking about all over the world instead of interfering with every god damn thing?

 

[Pattheprovo]

Here are the reasons

1. You have always portrayed yourself as the good guy and having the right. (probably essential for all empires)

2. You are leader in world affairs and the sole super power. No one else currently can compete.

3. You engage yourself in alot of foreign wars

So yea I'd like to think you would try to be a force of good. Maybe that way I'd buy into your manifest destiny crap.

 

[Mayhem]

So... let me get this straight...

We, as in the rest of the world shouldnt come crying to America for help...

Shouldnt America then return the favour and stop fucking about all over the world instead of interfering with every god damn thing?

Absolutely. But, as you point out, Step 1 is get out of our face and solve your own problems.

Shit goes down in Somalia - send someone else.

Shit goes down in Yugoslavia/Bosnia/Croatia - send someone else.

Iraq invades Kuwait - send 500,000 of someone else - and then deal with the Saudis afterward.

Shit goes down in Sudan/Dharfur - send someone else - which I can't help noticing, no one is.

India and Pakistan need incentives to not go completely biblical on each other - step right up, someone else, and deal with THAT. I vote for you, Netherlands. Go keep a lid on Pakistan/India for us, will ya?

Get that Step 1 outta the way, we'll start working on Step 2.

 

[StanScratch]

Absolutely not.
Most of the time, we are not acting on which is actually good for the country involved/the rest of the world - but we are acting on the "good" on behalf of those who happen to be in charge. The Iraqi invasion, for instance, was not done in good for the Iraqis nor the rest of the world - it was a personal vendetta by W, as well as an attempt to shine a positive light on himself in the history books.
No one country in the world should decide what is good/bad for the rest of the world, which is why an international council such as the UN is actually needed.

 

[Ace Bandage]

You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

 

[ban-one]

I feel that this is a valid question, given the current landscape around here.

Who ever said that America has to be a force for good. And when/where was this meeting held?

America, like all countries, is merely a place to live. We have our Bill of Rights, which we haven't always followed. We have had, and still have, some pretty depressing issues with civil rights. Each Amendment in our Constitution has been stretched and snapped back while we continue to define who we are as a nation.

My point: The only "good" we are obligated to do, applies to the citizens who live within our borders.

My question: Who the fuck invited the rest of you?

America does not exist to make life easier for Aussies, Frenchies, Germans, South Africans or anyone else. Handle your own problems. If you need a babysitter or someone to call "Daddy", try Canada. See if Norway is up for the job. Better yet, let's just hand over the reigns entirely to the EU, seeing has how they did such a wonderful job with Bosnia.

Sitting on your ass, in your own country, blaming America for your lot in life is the definition of being a pussy and a douche-bag.

If you're that hot and bothered about a "Force for Good", become one. If you can't, quit your bitching about whoever else isn't also.

You make really good points here. And to answer your questions, if we (as the strongest) aren't the force for good in the world, who else will stand up to do it (as no one else will, preferring to live under security we provide while complaining about us; that's real smart, one of these days we're not gonna come to the rescue, and see how you feel then), so we kinda have to, the meeting and decision was WWI and II when we had to come to the rescue, and they pretty much invited themselves because an upstart country not even 200 years old at the time did and could do more than countries that had been around for alot longer could and did.

Really, we were never supposed to be the world's police or babysitter. And weren't until WWI. We were supposed to just be neutral like Switzerland, a friend to everyone, but a country you sure as hell don't want for an enemy, and let whatever happens in and to the rest of the world happen while we sit back and watch the fireworks. We oughta go back to that and see how the rest of the world likes things when we're not around to do things for them and take care of them. It'd certainly save us alotta money and headaches putting up with the rest of the world.

 

[Mayhem]

Really, we were never supposed to be the world's police or babysitter. And weren't until WWI. We were supposed to just be neutral like Switzerland, a friend to everyone, but a country you sure as hell don't want for an enemy, and let whatever happens in and to the rest of the world happen while we sit back and watch the fireworks. We oughta go back to that and see how the rest of the world likes things when we're not around to do things for them and take care of them. It'd certainly save us alotta money and headaches putting up with the rest of the world.

Preach on, my bruthah. :nanner::nanner::nanner: (In my head, the choir has just broken out in song)

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Whether or not we have to be, you can bet the rest of the Western world is damn glad that we are. They may talk all their shit but in the end they are glad we pump trillions of dollars into our military infrastructure. Pussies.

 

[ban-one]

Preach on, my bruthah.

Well, I would, but I can't think of anything else really to say at the moment to add to what I've said, as I think my previous statements pretty well covered it. However, if you (or anyone else) can think of something specific (and I pass through here again to read it), I may expound upon that.

 

[Trident1]

We don't have to be but we are.

 

[Elwood70]

By which definition of "good"? It's all relative. I think the idea of being the police force of the world (Marshall Plan? Monroe Doctrine? I forget which...) needs no be eliminated completely, or at least re-examined.

I personally think we should take care of our own first, then worry about the other issues. The problem with that is that we'd end up stepping on even more toes,and pissing more people off than we already have.


Personally; I'm not afraid to piss people off.......never have been.

 

[Will E Worm]

Who ever said that America has to be a force for good. And when/where was this meeting held?

A UN meeting held in Jerusalem? :1orglaugh

We don't have to do anything.

 

[Shifty]

America need only defend itself and it's interests.

 

[emceeemcee]

My point: The only "good" we are obligated to do, applies to the citizens who live within our borders.

so basically you are arguing that America should be able to bomb anyone it wants and nobody is allowed to complain about it



yes?