That’s not imagination - it’s simple regurgitation of bad fiction.
:rolleyes: Yeah, it’s not like we’d ever invade a country, kill tens of thousands and complain about how ungrateful they are . . . oh, right, we just did that.
“A country” (or even two countries) doesn’t constitute a bid “for world domination” except in the fevered dreams of … well, people with fever, I guess. Heck, the U.S. military is popping rivets with its current commitments; how do you think the U.S. is going to manage serious Empire-building? Re-institute the draft? The U.S. won’t have to worry about invaders; it’ll have plenty of home-grown insurgents.
When the Iraq war gets dozens of other nations counter-attacking the U.S., lobbing nukes and whatnot onto its soil, give me a shout. I’ll consider giving you asylum, unless Canada is one of the invaders, in which case I’ll generously accept your surrender.
And how’s that workin out for us? Looking at Iraq (well, in your case fixated on Iraq and the evil that is America), can you truly be so out of touch with reality that you think we could or would do it again somewhere else?!? Where will we get the magic combat power to do so? How will ANYONE get the public consent…let alone that of Congress?!?
Face it Der…for all that we are evil incarnate in your own mind, we simply aren’t ruthless enough to REALLY be empire builders in the red handed, blood thirsty European way. We just don’t have the stomach for it (and luckily for the world, neither do THEY anymore )…or I suppose more accurately, our government is actually answerable to the people, unlike the Euro’s when they were on the empire trail. We killed 10’s of thousands? Yes we did. THEY however wiped out whole fucking civilizations and slaughtered literally millions to build their empires. We may be evil incarnate to you…but we are pikers who can’t even ‘conquer’ fucking Iraq, let alone the entire world.
Seriously…earth to Der Trihs! Its time for a reality break! 
-XT
War between states is obsolete. It would be suicide for there to be any major state vs state wars. The main reason we went after Iraq is because they were already economically isolated and didn’t have WMDs to use against us. We don’t go to war with Iran because it would cause too much damage to the world economy, and we don’t go to war with North Korea because they possibly have nukes and can send 2 million troops into South Korea, and just as many refugees into China.
Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it** xtisme**? Our military is stretched damn thin just occupying a third world shithole like Iraq. Public support for the occupation of a third world shithole like Iraq is dwindling by the minute. The President’s approval rating is circling the drain, all because the occupation of the third world shithole of Iraq hasn’t gone smoothly.
Yeah, America might have an unlimited appetite for short, victorious wars where we kick the bad guys in the nuts and come home in time for Christmas. Now, has the debacle in Iraq made the American public more or less likely to predict that the NEXT foreign adventure is going to be a short victorious war? Or has our experience in Iraq made the American public suspect that any such foreign adventure will be long, drawn out, inconclusive, bloody, expensive, and interminable?
See, the evil American public might support Der Trihs’s idea of conquering other countries and stealing their oil…but only if we thought it might work.
Even then I have my doubts. I think Iraq (and Afghanistan) was simply a perfect storm of events that isn’t likely to happen again any time soon…even if we hadn’t just gotten our snout knocked out of joint. Unless oil got so critical that the US public started to really feel the pain (and I’m not talking about $5/gallon…but actual shortages at the gas pump, rationing, maybe insufficient heating oil or power during the winter months, shortages of food…IOW if the lack of oil was an actual threat to life, not just an inconvenience or a pain in the ass because we have to pay $2.50 at the pump) I don’t think the public could normally be roused to sign off on anything more than tossing some tomahawks or maybe some peace keeping stunts…and only then if they basically go smooth enough to stay under the radar. Without 9/11 and the anger and threat I think the American people are basically both gun shy (see things like the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the blackhawk event in Somalia, etc) AND disinterested in such adventures. Even if the majority thought (as I’m sure they did…before Iraq) that such an adventure would work, I find it highly doubtful they would just go along. Certainly NOW they (we) are going to be even MORE gun shy about such adventures.
I thought about starting a thread asking the question…is it even possible for a modern nation to conquer another nation (let alone the entire world)? I think the answer to this shows the modern paradox for any nation that is even quasi-answerable to its people…a nation that is capable of conquering another nation today wouldn’t actually be able too if the weaker nation was smart. All it would take is simply going guerrilla right off the bat. Sure, if you riled up a country like the US (put another way, if you pissed off a high enough percentage of the population to support something more than air strikes and tomahawks), then I can see America happily crushing your military in detail and minced very fine. And if said country then surrendered peacefully, America and American’s would feel good, and then go back home to watch American Idol or one of the other shows that are incomprehensible to me but that American’s seem to love.
The only possible exception to this I can think of is a nation like China that is sort of on the fence…they actually have the economy that would (eventually) allow such external adventures without the accountability of the government to its people. I think they have a window of opportunity in, say, 5-10 years that they COULD go the empire building route. Luckily China has always been more inwardly focused…and I think they will eventually hit a wall where they are going to have to resolve this and go one way or the other. No one can ride the fence forever…IMHO.
-XT
I think we’ve reached the point predicted by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor in the Red Dwarf universe- Mankind has now become so good at war that we can’t have one anymore in case we blow up the planet. Sure, we might manage a mini-war- a warette, if you will- here and there, and maybe some sabre-rattling with a bit of light shooting- but the days of World Wars as a regular thing are, I think, in the past, IMHO.
<ahem>
H.G. Welles said it first, & he said it better.
My cite?
Look up The World Set Free.
Why? India is more than likely a natural ally for the West, with a class of people who can already speak English, a good industrial base, and workers willing to help Western companies relocate to a more cheaper Indian workforce. I’d be willing to bet in the event of something like an India China confrontation, India would win in the end due to the fact besides all it’s faults, India has a government people are willing to defend to the last man.
Of course, there are other nations in the world that have launched wars too.
India and Pakistan, both sides being aggressor.
China makes an attempt at Vietnam…
… in response to Vietnam’s own agression agaisnt a neighbor.
A Minor Clash between 2 powers.
And of course, how can we forget this one!
While it is certain that the US has it’s hands full right now, with occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, we are by no means the only nation to invade another.
Failure to recognize this fact decreases ones own position, and makes one seem like a blind idealogue.
If there is ever another global conflict then I believe it will be triggered by religion.
Allow me to explain:
The time may come when the peoples of the world who do not subscribe to the Muslim faith will grow tired of the constant outrages expressed by the adherants to Islam, their complete and utter indifference to the deaths caused by events such as The London/Madrid bombings and also the terrible acts of 9/11.
The capture and beheading of innocents on video already sicken most of us, they, Muslims, will do this again, have no doubts about it.
So it may come about that world leaders decide enough is enough and may issue an ultimatum to the effect “OK that’s it, stop right now or face the consequences”
They will not stop believing that the ultimatum is just so much bluster.
Just as soon as another atrocity is committed the shit hits the fan.
The USA/EU/China/Russia and many more will take up arms against the forces of Islam and given the military superiority will win.
After this then we get to the stage of “Well we won, what about all this oil?”" Do we just share it out among us or what?"
Which sets the scene for the next war.