Russ Noble said:
Well Pete, that’s an “interesting” comment! Do you agree with Scott that :-
Quote:
Originally Posted by 5150
"Amen Chuck !
Lets see ... If it wasn't for us the Brits would be eating wiener schnitzel and goose-stepping, and the Aussies would be would living under Tojo.
GOD BLESS AMERICA"
Russ, first of all, you need to work on your internet skills. See that quote button at the bottom of the screen? Use it. Or, alternatively, use the quote tags on either side of your text.
As an impartial observer I’ll just throw out a few ideas and questions and let everyone go for it!
My emphasis added. Your comments that follow lead me to believe that you are only impartial when measured against yourself.
I think if it wasn’t for Japan attacking Pearl Harbour and Hitler going into Russia the Anzacs along with the Brits would all be eating wiener schnitzel!
I tend to agree, but I'd re-phrase it to state that there wouldn't be any Jews living in either of these countries if those attacks hadn't happened. References to cute, fun stuff like Weeiner Schnitzel tends to understate what the Nazis were really about. Try death camps, mass executions, millions dead, world tyranny, etc. Given your status as a historian I'm sure I don't need to belabor this point.
It has been observed that the Americans only operate out of self interest and then expect everyone to thank them for it.
What country doesn't operate out of self interest? But let's consider a couple examples of America's "self interest" in action, one from the 1939-45 conflict which is the title, and supposedly the subject, of this thread, and another from modern times.
1939-45: Ever heard of lend/lease? Without lend/lease or any other US involvement in WWII it is a near certainty that England would eventually have, at a minimum, negotiated a peace with Nazi Germany. England simply didn't have the resources to withstand a drawn-out seige.
Today: President Bush has commited the US to spend $15 billion to combat AIDS in Africa, and
increased USAID to Africa from $1.2 billion per year in 2001 to $4 billion per year now, projected to grow to $9 billion per year by 2010. What has the rest of the world done about Africa, other than colonize and exploit it?
Scott’s comments would suggest some validity to that observation!
And on the subject of GOD BLESS AMERICA ……..
WOMD never existed in Iraq and the administration knew it and massaged the facts. Al Quida was never substantially based in Iraq, so what was the cold logic behind the invasion?
Saddam Hussein was a vicious tyrant of his people but Mugabe was ten times worse, he would have been a better candidate for an invasion if one had an altruistic motive to improve the lives of the oppressed subjects. Why Hussein and not Mugabe then?
The Russians, we would hope, have learnt (although they probably haven’t, but they can’t do much because their economy is stuffed!) from Afganistan what the Americans failed to learn from Vietnam but may yet from Iraq.
What happened to the “domino theory” after the fall of Vietnam?
Scott's comments seems to have pissed you off. I can understand that.
But now you're confusing me. I thought we were going to discuss the armed conflict from 1939-45. Are we supposed to be talking about Iraq? Al Qeda? Zimbabwe? Russia? Afghanistan? Vietnam?
