Should America be able to strike anybody it wants in any country at any time

[Winterblues]

With complete impunity? Why should we be able to do that and not say Russia do it inside America or China striking some American within our country? Does might make right. Are countries no longer sovereign? What gives us the right to blow up a tribesmen's home in Pakistan and kill ten people? Why can't we do that in Venezuela and get rid of Chavez then? What's the difference?

[endarkenment]

1. No of course not. It is complete bullshit arrogant imperialist assholery.

[Winterblues]

3. But our Democratic candidates support doing just that.

I think this supposed "War on Terror" has gone on way too long and is making America less than it should be.

[madokie]

7. Think, hell I know it has

[defendandprotect]

8. We've been less than we should be . . .

since the coup on JFK ---
as he declared the Cold War over ---
and issued a NSAM to bring our troops out of Vietnam ---



Additional General Comment ---

“If the Democrats can’t landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form.” If moderates don’t feel moved to repudiate the past 7 years of idiocy, and by huge margins, it’s time to declare the patient dead.
But I am a progressive and President Obama will need to know that there remain a lot of issues over here to the left of things that still need to be addressed. And the puppeteer who holds a donkey puppet in one hand and an elephant puppet in the other needs to know that we see him up there."

[endarkenment]

9. There are lots of issues I do not agree with either of them on.

This is one of them: pandering to the GWOT bullshit.

[Angela Shelley]

10. Thank You, endarkenment, for the honest definition.

[spanone]

22. i couldn't have said it better

[mediaman007]

2. We are the accuser, the judge, the jury and the executioner!

I imagine that one could get rid of his neighbor by telling the United States that your neighbor is having a dinner for the Taliban. I wonder where the "right to life" people are on this one. Don't foreign children have the same right to life as American fetuses? I know that the Right doesn't want to give any AIDs money to countries that promote abortions or family planning. I'm sure that the Bush* administration can justify this.

[defendandprotect]

4. Of course, they've been trying to assassinate Chavez . . . !!!

A few notable attempts have so far failed, however --- !!

The elites long ago substituted "preemptive" strikes for justice --- !!!

[RethugAssKicker]

5. No..!!!!.....To even consider if we should have that right

is insane...But for a large number of Americans who have been brought up under
the presumption of "American Exceptionalism"..that is exactly how they feel.

I'm sure a vast majority of Rethuglicans would answer yes to your question.
They are imperialists and think they own the world...This is why we are hated world over !

[whistle]

6. Certainly if it wants to be a fascist empire and supreme dictator of the world

....:sarcasm: what total bullshit arrogance by these neocon bastards

[Angela Shelley]

11. NO!

[theboss]

12. I think we ultimately have the right to defend ourselves

I don't think this is something to do willy-nilly though. If there was some sort of high command meeting of Al Qaeda or some other terrorist group in Pakistan, the US should reserve the right to strike it.

[Karenina]

14. NOTHING the Amurikkan *MIC has done in DECADES

has ANYTHING to do with "defending" anyone but the avaricious ruling elite whose goal is world domination. AT ANY COST.

[theboss]

16. Well, there's that too

Anyway...what was the question?

[OwnedByFerrets]

18. We, THE AMERICA YOU LOVE, are keeping a terrorist

safe and sound in Miami. This is NOT a fictitious scenerio....we really are. This terrorist committed at least one of his crimes against Cuba. So, you are telling me that you have NO problem with Cuba sending a missile over to Miami to take out this terrorist....along with any innocent bystanders that might just get in the way?

[MisterP]

13. yes! we are gods made flesh! (sarcasm off) n/t

[blues90]

15. Hell no

As long as I've been alive and much longer than that the US had been replacing governments and stealing resource's all over the globe . It's always been about corporate interests which involve banks and oil companies and now even fast food and box stores planted somewhere .

If these freaks don't get their way they go the Iran contra way .

We have never been attacked here where we needed to fight some enemy . who would attack us with all our nukes aimed everywhere and all our bases all around the globe for well over 50 years .

Somehow I felt once the bush admin said that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 that this would be the end of the bush admin , boy was I dreaming .

I continue to really wonder if what we have now is a one party system in this so called government . It does appear this is what we do have , I can't think of another reason why the Dems sit there and allow this to continue and still vote against the peoples interests .

[OwnedByFerrets]

17. Not unless we give the same impunity to ANY other country....

which of course will and should not ever happen. Its the most rediculous thing ever. And of course, we would only to it to a country that we can bully.

[sarcasmo]

19. Team America: World Police.

[champion-these-facts]

20. IT HISTORICALLY DID JUST THE OPPOSITE

A historic reluctance to enter into battle, and some have actually analyzed this reluctance as being to a flaw.
Bush completely changed the paradigm.

War is unaffordable.

This wreckless mindset of aggressive war includes these factors:

1. Profound ignorance of Dubya and key neocon advisors to believe that a regime can be surgically removed. This is not so much a "war" but a "failed regime change".

2. America had a hard time coping with the "loss" of Vietnam, and was somewhat itchy for a "victory". The Gulf War seemed to bring this "kick ass" mentality forward.

3. A volunteer army is great for readiness, and tends to significantly cut down on any anti-war sentiments, however we have to realize now that it can be inappropriately set in motion. It is ready to go by definition, so therein lies part of the problem. The decision to "press the button" has to be now much more seriously considered then it historically was done in the past.

4. The new neocon teachings by Dr. Thomas Barnett, et al, that seem to champion these type of "affordable" wars where we build more army bases here and there and then presto, freedom flourishes. This "democratic miracle grow" philosophy is being taught in the war college and seems to be very attractive since we don't have the soviets and the cold war to keep our war minds occupied.

[Delphinus]

21. Absolutely NOT!

We are not above the rule of law or the other treaties we have signed around the world. One day the people of this land will wake up and realize that might does NOT make right.

[Pavulon]

23. A brief review of the CIA

will show we have been doing EXACTLY that for 60 years across all administrations.