RoadWarriorFromLP

This is the same America that took territory from the native Americans and Mexico, conquered Hawaii, attacked Cuba and won Spanish possessions in the Pacific, after warning the Europeans to keep out of South America.

American isolationism is a myth. The US didn't get involved in European affairs during the 19th century, but that doesn't mean that the US was disengaged from the rest of the world or lacked territorial ambitions.

steveq

Yep. The least worst option we have. And they bought chunks of Mexico, which the Spanish stole from the indigenes too.

Michael

Lets say the American public had no stomach to enter into European wars and that was strongly reinforced when Wilson got the US involved in WWI. Even when Pearl Harbor was bombed, Hitler did FDR a favor by declaring war since there was still strong opposition to America entering the war in Europe. Although the US would probably have entered the European war, once Hitler declared war, the opposition disappeared.

MostlyYank

Is it rabble rousing to point out that oil is a 'world' security interest, and a collapse of open shipping lanes would be a disaster for everyone but particularly for the worlds' poor?

Very much so outside our 'little' world here inside the oceans In Kissinger's' memoirs (loooooong but can be interesting) he says the Europeans asked the US to stay involved in Europe after WW1 but domestic politics prevented it.

I ask people 'Why is New York called the Empire State?' Americans are very uncomfortable with it. Time lapse spread of new States is very telling.

Pete

Michael

I'd like to see the US cut it's military budget by 1/3rd or more and let Europe increase their military budgets by a similar amount but even if that occurred, I don't think Europe, except the UK and Poland, would be willing to take on their role responsibly or being a cohesive force even if they had the equipment and manpower to do it.

There is such a strong peace movement in Europe whom seem to have forgotten the past. They seem to see the mistakes that the US has made but seem to have forgotten that Europe has been at peace for 70 years.

Rand and Ron Paul's ideology seems like common sense for America but assumes that the developed democratic countries of the world will take on that role responsibly and if they don't, let the chips fall where they may as if it won't make any difference to the security of the US.

MostlyYank

I agree with you overall for sure. I don't think there's anyone willing to take up the slack. As much as I'd occasionally like to see the US take its ball and go home it'd be cutting off our nose to spite our face, again agreed. We're very agreeable

Pete

FlaviusAetius

Here's America's democracy in action:

Video: Vote For Republican Automatically Registers For Democrat | The Weekly Standard

Michael

Probably since the previous governor (a republican) spent so much money trying to stop democrats from voting, the state ran out of money and had to buy knock off voting machines from counterfeiters.

FlaviusAetius

Michael, the previous governor, Beverly Purdue, is a Democrat and sat her fundament in the Governor's Chair from January 2009 to January 2013, so enough time to make sure that the balance was redressed by screwing around with the voting machine software.

Actually, things haven't been the same in NC since the end of Richard Caswell's first term.

Mike

Michael

Interesting but why are you talking about North Carolina when the story is about Virginia?

From my recollection, Bob McDonnell (R) was the governor of Virginia until January of this year when he was indicted for corruption.

So I guess it must be the democrats fault that they didn't go to Virginia and test and calibrate all the machines that Virginia bought and pays a private contractor for the maintenance. I really didn't know that it was her job to calibrate and test every voting machine in the US.

FlaviusAetius

You're right Michael - I plead almost no sleep last night and a heavy day today, my bad.

I don't really trust computer voting machines, whoever purchases them. I liked the olde machines that punched holes in a paper roll after you made your choices and pulled the lever. Hard to screw around with them.

When I voted this afternoon I put the card into the machine (a Diebold) and it informed me that the card had already been voted. They gave me another, which did work as it was supposed to. I assume the card I was given was sent to our county by mistake and was intended - as part of a massive batch - for Philadelphia, to help those folks vote the right way.

Michael

Wait until someone checks for fraudulent votes and discovers that you voted at the wrong place.

If Crist and a democratic attorney wins, they'll notice that you registered as a republican and will say "prosecute for voter fraud".

scrubbedexpat091

It appears West Virginia has grown tired of democrats. Per CNN the republicans have won that seat after 30 years of democrat control.

Michael

The republican was 16 point ahead so that's yesterday's news. It was also an open seat since the democratic senator retired but Joe Manchin (D) is the other senator.

FlaviusAetius

Perhaps I got to vote twice this afternoon, once with the fraud card and the second time with the non-fraud card. That should make up for some poor Dem who was denied his vote because he was suppressed.