Veterans and the public agree US foreign policy isn’t working

[Peter1469]

Veterans and the public agree US foreign policy isn’t working (https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2017/12/05/veterans_and_the_public_agree_us_foreign_policy_is nt_working_112727.html)

I was surprised the numbers were this high.


First, veterans and the public are not convinced post-9/11 foreign policy made us more secure. Majorities of both groups say the past two decades of foreign policy have not made the United States or the world safer—in fact, a plurality of veterans and Americans, in general, believe these years of unending, expansive overseas intervention have made us less safe.

Specifically, 71 percent of veterans and the public alike believe the terrorist threat has increased over that period, a perception that matches what we know about the real potential of ill-considered military interventions to exacerbate regional tensions (http://redalertpolitics.com/2016/06/24/cost-foreign-interventionism-immigration-opinion/) and provoke retaliation (http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-skeptics/the-unintended-consequences-unintended-casualties-16961). Washington may refuse to notice these unintended consequences (http://thefederalist.com/2017/04/18/national-interest-bombing-syria-serve/), but the rest of the country has not.


Along the same lines, neither group is enthusiastic about expanding the U.S. military presence abroad: 52 percent of veterans and 60 percent of the general population do not think this is a route to more security. Perhaps U.S. taxpayers understand the diminishing returns from the ever-growing bill America pays to defend our wealthy allies.


About the prospects of invading North Korea, poll respondents were particularly pessimistic, with just 33 percent of veterans and 20 percent of the public saying it could make us safer.

[donttread]

Veterans and the public agree US foreign policy isn’t working (https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2017/12/05/veterans_and_the_public_agree_us_foreign_policy_is nt_working_112727.html)

I was surprised the numbers were this high.

Bout time the country caight up with the obvious. But better late than never

[Mini Me]

I think the word is finally getting out that we are really fighting proxy wars for the benefit of Zionist Izrahell!

And that AIPAC and the PNAC Neocon perpetual war group is sponsored by Nutanyahu! And that we are defending the drug cartels(opium in Afghanistan) and laundering the money through big banks!

Why should our boys die fighting for Izrahell?

[Peter1469]

I think the word is finally getting out that we are really fighting proxy wars for the benefit of Zionist Izrahell!

And that AIPAC and the PNAC Neocon perpetual war group is sponsored by Nutanyahu! And that we are defending the drug cartels(opium in Afghanistan) and laundering the money through big banks!

Why should our boys die fighting for Izrahell?
Wow. Your "argument" is insane.

[Kacper]

Doesn't take long to realize that we have zero in common with Iraqis and Afghans.

[Peter1469]

Doesn't take long to realize that we have zero in common with Iraqis and Afghans.

That and they have no national institutions for us to build upon. They are a collection of tribes that are ruled by force and bribery.

[Mini Me]

Wow. Your "argument" is insane.

Oh? PNAC Neocon war group, with dual israeli-US citizens
AIPAC
Nutanyahu's Samson Option

All these wars benefit Israel and not our interests,

[MisterVeritis]

I think the word is finally getting out that we are really fighting proxy wars for the benefit of Zionist Izrahell!

And that AIPAC and the PNAC Neocon perpetual war group is sponsored by Nutanyahu! And that we are defending the drug cartels(opium in Afghanistan) and laundering the money through big banks!

Why should our boys die fighting for Izrahell?
A post like this requires a kook alert.

[donttread]

I think the word is finally getting out that we are really fighting proxy wars for the benefit of Zionist Izrahell!

And that AIPAC and the PNAC Neocon perpetual war group is sponsored by Nutanyahu! And that we are defending the drug cartels(opium in Afghanistan) and laundering the money through big banks!

Why should our boys die fighting for Izrahell?

More like for the benfit of well connected , super rich, megacops and their major owners and execs.

[Peter1469]

More like for the benfit of well connected , super rich, megacops and their major owners and execs.

Add citizens who want Apple products and computers?

But then most people think their steak originates in the supermarket.

[Common]

How can our foriegn policy be any good if we have been at war going on 17 yrs nonstop. Finally we are seeing some progress in this war in the last year.

To blame trump and not obama for our foreign policy problems is ludicrous

[Mini Me]

How can our foriegn policy be any good if we have been at war going on 17 yrs nonstop. Finally we are seeing some progress in this war in the last year.
It started as Bush's wars, then Bama inherited the wars, now Trump.

So its Trump's wars now! He owns it!
To blame trump and not obama for our foreign policy problems is ludicrous

[donttread]

Add citizens who want Apple products and computers?

But then most people think their steak originates in the supermarket.


If you ask me we have more than enough devices per person. If stealing resources isthe answer than we are asking the wrong question. As for food, we can grow that right here .

[Peter1469]

If you ask me we have more than enough devices per person. If stealing resources isthe answer than we are asking the wrong question. As for food, we can grow that right here .

Those devices need to be replaced every few years. We need these rare earth minerals.

[Ethereal]

The US government doesn't have a "foreign policy". It has a conspiracy to keep terrorism alive, wars endless, and Americans fearful.

[Ethereal]

Add citizens who want Apple products and computers?

But then most people think their steak originates in the supermarket.

US foreign policy, if it can be called that, has nothing to do with getting Americans consumers goods. It is a transparent conspiracy initiated by banks, arms manufactures, and foreign parasites like Israel.

[Ethereal]

Those devices need to be replaced every few years. We need these rare earth minerals.
What does this have to do with foreign policy?

[donttread]

Those devices need to be replaced every few years. We need these rare earth minerals.

Which brings us right back to not learning our lesson from oil. We willfully becoem over dependent upon things we cannot produce and then conspire to imperialize , leaving us vulnerable to terrorism as a backlash.
Progress should be driven by should we ? Not by can we? Such "progress" as this endagers national security. Don't become overly dependent upon things you cannot produce.

[Peter1469]

Which brings us right back to not learning our lesson from oil. We willfully becoem over dependent upon things we cannot produce and then conspire to imperialize , leaving us vulnerable to terrorism as a backlash.
Progress should be driven by should we ? Not by can we? Such "progress" as this endagers national security. Don't become overly dependent upon things you cannot produce.
You get to be the one to tell the younger generation the cost of their electronics is going to sky rocket as rare earth minerals become even more scarce or controlled by adversaries.

[Peter1469]

What does this have to do with foreign policy?
That is part of Eric Princes argument to privatize the war.

[Ethereal]

You get to be the one to tell the younger generation the cost of their electronics is going to sky rocket as rare earth minerals become even more scarce or controlled by adversaries.
Something tells me that the younger generations are not willing to commit mass murder, thievery, and aggression against innocents in order to have low cost electronics.

In any case, this is a false choice. We don't need to exert military force in order to acquire valuable resources. We can simply use trade and diplomacy.

[Ethereal]

That is part of Eric Princes argument to privatize the war.
Eric Prince just wants to line his pockets with taxpayer money. I think you know that better than most.

[Peter1469]

Eric Prince just wants to line his pockets with taxpayer money. I think you know that better than most.

I know. I just posted the article for discussion. A way to help get TDS sufferers onto different topics.

[Ethereal]

I know. I just posted the article for discussion.

It's worth discussing. There is certainly a role that private contractors can play in foreign policy. But Eric Prince is not the man to lead the way. He has no moral compass and is only interested in fattening his wallet. A foreign policy unmoorred by ethics is how a country loses its soul.


A way to help get TDS sufferers onto different topics.

You'd have better luck getting Afghanistan to embrace Jeffersonian democracy.

[Ethereal]

Access to the mineral rights in Afghanistan can be achieved through intelligent diplomacy. Certainly, private contractors could fulfill a limited role in helping to secure mining sites against asymmetric threats, but those costs should be assumed by the mining companies themselves. As for competition over the minerals vis-a-vis countries like China, that is something that should be handled diplomatically as well. It's not as if the USA and China are closed systems that will keep the minerals within their own hermetically sealed economies. They belong to a global economy and regardless of who ends up mining them, they will make their way into the global supply chain via markets. We should not become overly anxious at the prospect of competition over resources to the point where we allow ourselves to treat every situation as a prelude to conflict and war. We can use our soft power to achieve our objectives in a way that doesn't presage violence.

[donttread]

When you get right down to it. How could anyone actually think our foreign ploicy is working?

[The Xl]

Course it's not, it's not designed to work.

[Peter1469]

Access to the mineral rights in Afghanistan can be achieved through intelligent diplomacy. Certainly, private contractors could fulfill a limited role in helping to secure mining sites against asymmetric threats, but those costs should be assumed by the mining companies themselves. As for competition over the minerals vis-a-vis countries like China, that is something that should be handled diplomatically as well. It's not as if the USA and China are closed systems that will keep the minerals within their own hermetically sealed economies. They belong to a global economy and regardless of who ends up mining them, they will make their way into the global supply chain via markets. We should not become overly anxious at the prospect of competition over resources to the point where we allow ourselves to treat every situation as a prelude to conflict and war. We can use our soft power to achieve our objectives in a way that doesn't presage violence.
As of now, the security just isn't there for mining operations.

[donttread]

You get to be the one to tell the younger generation the cost of their electronics is going to sky rocket as rare earth minerals become even more scarce or controlled by adversaries.


That's where the rare skill of foresight would of come in. However if you flat out asked do you want to wage war and steal to keep electronics prices down? I think the kids would say no.

[donttread]

Something tells me that the younger generations are not willing to commit mass murder, thievery, and aggression against innocents in order to have low cost electronics.



In any case, this is a false choice. We don't need to exert military force in order to acquire valuable resources. We can simply use trade and diplomacy.

Right but it would be fun to see the government admit it's imperialism. Instead they dream up boggiemen to hide the true reason for war and then blame the customers they lied to about how they obtained the products to begin with

[Peter1469]

That's where the rare skill of foresight would of come in. However if you flat out asked do you want to wage war and steal to keep electronics prices down? I think the kids would say no.

They will need a 12 step program to get over it.

[Mini Me]

US foreign policy, if it can be called that, has nothing to do with getting Americans consumers goods. It is a transparent conspiracy initiated by banks, arms manufactures, and foreign parasites like Israel.

Thank you! We are faced with the difficult task of educating people about the Khazarian Mafia, The Rothschild Banking cartel, and the City of London rulers! Israel is not our friend!

[Dr. Who]

Veterans and the public agree US foreign policy isn’t working (https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2017/12/05/veterans_and_the_public_agree_us_foreign_policy_is nt_working_112727.html)

I was surprised the numbers were this high.

People are becoming far more aware. Perhaps it's because of the internet. They are allowed to read news that hasn't been sanitized for public consumption.

[Dr. Who]

Right but it would be fun to see the government admit it's imperialism. Instead they dream up boggiemen to hide the true reason for war and then blame the customers they lied to about how they obtained the products to begin with

It'll never happen, at least not in our lifetimes. Once that door is open, there is no telling what will come out.

[Dr. Who]

You get to be the one to tell the younger generation the cost of their electronics is going to sky rocket as rare earth minerals become even more scarce or controlled by adversaries.

Science will find a way to do without those rare earth minerals. They are already working on it.
https://phys.org/news/2017-09-graphene-carbon-nanomaterials-scarce-metals.html

[Peter1469]

People are becoming far more aware. Perhaps it's because of the internet. They are allowed to read news that hasn't been sanitized for public consumption.

Distrust of government is a good thing.