Are you for real? We can't keep our mexican border safe. Despite all of our technology we can't find Osama. We are good at killing unarmed citizens. We've been engaged in conflicts in the middle east for over 20 years now... active combat at least since the first Gulf War... What have we accomplished? Destroyed Iraq? pissed off all the brown folks? Exactly what is our mission? Unlike the Romans, Brits and Spaniards who dominated and conquered their advisories bringing great wealth... We are the idiots that blow shit up and then pay to rebuild. Where is our payday?
The USA could not take over the world. The US could destroy most of the world with 30,000 nukes and then possible occupy the radioactive wasteland, but not conquer with conventional military, no way. NATO + russia, yes maybe, US alone- no. The US has to fight with both hands behind our backs because of politics. Bin laden has escaped because of politics. It's exactly like Vietnam, we won every single battle but the american public refused to win the war. We handed the viet cong their asses during the Tet offensive yet it was seen as a failure, due to the influence of weak minded politics. We can't fight a real war in Afghanistan due to the CNN cameras rolling, the perpetual america hatred by some of our own and the childish demands that war now requires no casualities except for only guys who are basically saying 'shoot me'. Either fight right or not at all. Iraq is a waste, kill bin laden at all costs then just leave.
CNN had an interview with Ahmadinejad (on Larry King). Did anyone watch it? If someone has it, could you upload/put links in here?
Larson, We do have the most powerful military in the world. You are making a somewhat valid point, but your argument is premature of the facts. China is rapidly growing its military, but they still have quite some time before they equal or surpass the US. For instance, China is buying it's very first aircraft carrier (a decommissioned Russian variety, if I remember correctly) this year. It's hard to argue that China is even remotely close to military power when they lack some of the most basic building blocks: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/cv.htm Russia's military is still a joke compared to ours; it was depleted in the 1990s and only in the last few years have they decided to rebuild (thanks V. Putin). BTW, after USSR fell we found out just how poorly-prepared the USSR military was during the Cold War... they had raw numbers, but they could barely keep their planes in the sky... as an analogy, consider having an NFL running-back who averages 4.5 yards-per game, but is consistently injured 1/3 of the season. The kicker is that the US is neck-deep in regional conflicts, we are so saturated (financially & manpower), we cannot possibly take on any more engagements. That is the reason we must continue bargaining with Iran; and (sadly) they know it. I'm not a war hawk, but it does little good to have a strong military when your biggest threats know you're already pinned to the mat. Russia and China are cooperating to take the US down (at a minimum, economically). In fact, it would not surprise me at all if they were encouraging Iran to continue behind the scenes. However, it's perhaps another decade before individual Russian or Chinese forces could come close to rivaling ours. However, we are doing everything we can to help them win the game; we just have to continue bankrupting our economy. In another couple of decades, economic reality will force our military power to significantly lower levels.
Ahminadimajad-lama-lama's is at least as smart as Donald Trump and MTV executives in getting attention. We just reward his Paris Hilton/Jersey Shore attention whore antics when we stomp out of international forums and draw more attention to the guy. When some fruit-nut gets on the bus and starts ranting about the end of the world and how the town council is out to get him, do you try and debate the guy? Do you get outraged and defend the town council? Nah, if you have any sense, you just sigh, roll your eyes, and let the nut-bag run out of steam. That's they way to react to Ahmajinhidad. If you pick a fight with him, you look like either Epic Beard Man or Amberlamps... and there is no dignity in looking like either of those nutters. Now, having said that: Ahminhidijad = Iranian (Persian), Shitte Osama = Saudi (Arab), Sunni, bin Laden family is friend and business associates of the Bush family Taliban = Afghan, Sunni fundamentalists, allies of the US when we called them "freedom fighters" and armed and trained them against the Soviets So, where Ahmadinijohn has a point is: We are buddies of the Saudi Arabians, the Bushs are buddies of the bin Ladens, and we armed and trained the Taliban, so it sure looks like we created a fertile environment for 9/11.
Sad fact. We spend TONS of money on wars, then get little for our efforts. We're not very good at it.