Hello everybody, my name is Damion, and I'm glad to join your conmunity,
and wish to assit as far as possible.

potamogetonaceae akiyenik preternotorious outkick kodakry dispopularize cavernicolous linelet
Beograd
http://www.icon.co.zw/forsaf/

@PERSIAN REDNECK
Sorry, but your comments are ridiculous and far away from reality!

Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany:
http://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/2plusfour8994e.htm

Status of foreign forces in Germany:
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/en/Aussenpolitik/Voelkerrecht/Truppenstationierungsrecht.html

Forgot to say that in the Treaty, only France, UK and USSR quit their rights and responsbilities vis-a-vis Germany. USA did not quit its rights, i.e. occupation rights, bases, etc.

German Voice

Your referenced Treaty page is exactly what I have written above--the Allies plus USSR jointly agreed in 1990 to allow Germany to unite. per Article 1 of the Treaty. Article 1(3) and 1(5) specifically condition the unification upon Germany's commitment to stay were it is and recognise boundaries at that time.

German Voice

If Germany was a fully "independent" country, not under occupation and not under some sort of a polite house arrest, why would it need a treaty with USA and or Russia before it reunites?

@PERSIAN REDNECK

Nice try, but you're talking bull! Don't forget! Teach yourself before teaching others!

Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany:
http://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/2plusfour8994e.htm

Status of foreign forces in Germany:
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/en/Aussenpolitik/Voelkerrecht/Truppenstationierungsrecht.html

German Voice

If you were really German, I wonder why you call EU (which includes Germany) as a looser! Very un-German of you.

You ought to recall the 4+2 agreement which allowed Germans to Unite. The 4 were the Allies (USA, UK, France) and Russia and the 2 were East and West Germany. If you were German, surely you would have known this. In fact, the way that it happened that the East German parliament accepted the territorial claims of West Germany, as it was mentioned in its constitution.

Not withstanding, the Allies continue to keep their military bases in West Germany and Berlin. Unlike other typical NATO agreements of "common military operations" (like U.S. bases in UK or Turkey or Greece, for example), the Allies have a definite sole control of the land on which the bases are settled. That means occupation.

Another aspect of the 4+2 Agreement is about the continued defensive nature of German military forces which excludes the possession of certain types of arms by Germany (long-range and medium range missiles, nukes, fighter aircraft, etc.). In other words, Germany has not been allowed to have access to such things, even though it is certainly capable of producing them. Ditto for Japan.

PERSIAN REDNECK, German territory is still under occupation of the Allies and Russia? The occupation of West-Germany ended in 1949 (officially, 5th May 1955)! In East Germany in 1949 (officially, 21st September 1955). The reunification of Germany was in 1990. So, where have you been since then? Russian forces left Germany already and the U.S. forces are always welcomed! Without them, it would be pretty dark in Germny! Well, I see, you're very well educated! However, it was nice to meet you!

***

ECONOMIST, You're wrong!

United States
GDP: $13.22 trillion (2006 est.)
Debt: 64.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Japan
GDP: $4.911 trillion (2006 est.)
Debt: 175.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Germany
GDP: $2.858 trillion (2006 est.)
Debt: 66.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

United Kingdom
GDP: $2.341 trillion (2006 est.)
Debt: 42.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

France
GDP: $2.154 trillion (2006 est.)
Debt: 64.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

Italy
GDP: $1.78 trillion (2006 est.)
Debt: 107.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Any questions?

More information can be found at http://www.imf.org/external/data.htm

The future of the U.S. economy shines bright! Thanks to George W. Bush! Good job, Mr. President!
The future of the E.U. economy looks bad! Thanks to socialism! Bad job, Loosers!

***

KAM-KORDER, Thanks a bunch for sharing! That piece is tremendous! Can't stop laughing! However, what's about Rangel? I have heard that he is able to play on a comb!

Very good.

How did we get to this point and state of world affairs? Did we create UN as a civilised forum for talk, or did we discard it in favour of exchanging 30 second quipps via CNN and FoxNews?

Below is part of an interview with Noam Chomsky, and it can also be found on http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/984/1/

Shank: So when the United States considers a potential invasion you think it’s under the premise of gaining control? That is what the United States will gain from attacking Iran?

Chomsky: There are several issues in the case of Iran. One is simply that it is independent and independence is not tolerated. Sometimes it’s called successful defiance in the internal record. Take Cuba. A very large majority of the U.S. population is in favor of establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba and has been for a long time with some fluctuations. And even part of the business world is in favor of it too. But the government won’t allow it. It’s attributed to the Florida vote but I don’t think that’s much of an explanation. I think it has to do with a feature of world affairs that is insufficiently appreciated. International affairs is very much run like the mafia. The godfather does not accept disobedience, even from a small storekeeper who doesn’t pay his protection money. You have to have obedience otherwise the idea can spread that you don’t have to listen to the orders and it can spread to important places.

If you look back at the record, what was the main reason for the U.S. attack on Vietnam? Independent development can be a virus that can infect others. That’s the way it’s been put, Kissinger in this case, referring to Allende in Chile. And with Cuba it’s explicit in the internal record. Arthur Schlesinger, presenting the report of the Latin American Study Group to incoming President Kennedy, wrote that the danger is the spread of the Castro idea of taking matters into your own hands, which has a lot of appeal to others in the same region that suffer from the same problems. Later internal documents charged Cuba with successful defiance of U.S. policies going back 150 years – to the Monroe Doctrine -- and that can’t be tolerated. So there’s kind of a state commitment to ensuring obedience.

Going back to Iran, it’s not only that it has substantial resources and that it’s part of the world’s major energy system but it also defied the United States. The United States, as we know, overthrew the parliamentary government, installed a brutal tyrant, was helping him develop nuclear power, in fact the very same programs that are now considered a threat were being sponsored by the U.S. government, by Cheney, Wolfowitz, Kissinger, and others, in the 1970s, as long as the Shah was in power. But then the Iranians overthrew him, and they kept U.S. hostages for several hundred days. And the United States immediately turned to supporting Saddam Hussein and his war against Iran as a way of punishing Iran. The United States is going to continue to punish Iran because of its defiance. So that’s a separate factor.

And again, the will of the U.S. population and even US business is considered mostly irrelevant. Seventy five percent of the population here favors improving relations with Iran, instead of threats. But this is disregarded. We don’t have polls from the business world, but it’s pretty clear that the energy corporations would be quite happy to be given authorization to go back into Iran instead of leaving all that to their rivals. But the state won’t allow it. And it is setting up confrontations right now, very explicitly. Part of the reason is strategic, geo-political, economic, but part of the reason is the mafia complex. They have to be punished for disobeying us.

For all of us who read this article and responded, I'd like to tell a short story. The last paragraph is for those of us who made personal attacks on the author, rather than engage in a civlized discourse.
*****

"I Love my new Lexus"

I bought a new Lexus 350 and returned to the dealer the next day because I couldn't get the radio to work. The salesman explained that the radio was voice activated.

"Nelson," the salesman said to the radio. The Radio replied, "Ricky or Willie?"

"Willie!" he continued and "On The Road Again" came from the speaker s. Then he said, "Ray Charles!", and in an instant "Georgia On My Mind" replaced Willie Nelson.

I drove away happy, and for the next few days, every time I'd say, "Beethoven," I'd get beautiful classical music, and if I said, "Beatles," I'd get one of their awesome songs.

Yesterday, a couple ran a red light and nearly creamed my new car, but I swerved in time to avoid them. I yelled, "IDIOTS!"

Immediately the French National Anthem began to play, sung by Jane Fonda and Barbara Streisand, backed up by Michael Moore and The Dixie Chicks, with John Kerry on guitar, Al Gore on drums, Dan Rather on harmonica, Nancy Pelosi on tambourine, Harry Reid on spoons, Bill Clinton on sax and Ted Kennedy on scotch.

I LOVE this car!

Dr Ettefaghs' thoughtful and learned dissertation is in direct contrast to many of his respondents. I agree with many of his assertions including the view that America is heading for another economic depression to equal that of the 1930's. Any one involved in international trade knows how difficult it is to do business with America these days.
A majority of Europeans now see the USA as a big threat to world peace, one instance, note the huge reaction by voters in Poland and Czech Rep (as distinct from governments) who are strongly against the siting of the new missile defence radars in their countries

To GERMAN VOICE

The United States economy is one of highest indebted nations, when you add up internal and external debts. It has about 8 trillion Dollars of federal debt (plus state budget deficits, unfunded social security and pensions at both government and private sector, plus the federal guaranty exposure for unfunded pensions of major companies that are on the verge of going bust, especially automakers). It is a country that has a fluffed up GPD of 12 trillion. At 75%, and using classic American economic texts and models, the American economy is beyond its debt limit and cannot service it's debt without neglecting its infrastructure. It is not enough to churn the capital market, it is important to have a long, medium and short-term return for that purpose.

So, it is compelled to keep the soup boiling and postpone the problem to tomorrow. Well, it will soon be the tomorrow that was far away!

To GERMAN VOICE

It is people like you that give the word REDNECK a bad rap. Yes, people in the Middle East know a lot more about the world than Americans/Germans like you know about the rest of the world. As a reminder, Germans lost both wars that they started and to this day, German territory is still under occupation of the Allies and Russia. Don't forget that Germans needed the permission of their occupiers before they could unite!

So, listen and read. You might learn something!

AN INDIAN, Forget it! The Euro is born to die! So what?

ECONOMIST, The debt of the U.S. are peanuts. So what?

READ THIS, Come on! Jachson Diehl had a dream and there is nothing wrong with it. However, the Bush administration is doing a great job - and if Iran and Syria do not stop supporting terrorism, then they will face hard times. So what?

PERSIAN REDNECK, Indeed, the people in the Middle East should learn English, so that we can do a lot business over there. Right?

It is interesting to read the reactions of posters and comments. The Americans stand out in their attempts to be forceful and by starting their argument with "I am right, you are wrong..." and personal attacks. Interesting but off the mark!

It is understandable as Americans live in a very confined country where there is no flows of real information the rest of the world. It is also understandable that they are taking their frustration of Iraq out on Iranians. But what is most fascinating is that more than 90% of comments posted on this blog, as comments to this writer and others, tend to think that Uncle Sam is out of control, and out of place in the Middle East. I guess we have to recall those YANKEE GO HOME slogans!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021800903.html

A half-clever plot by the Saudis to paper over the criminal acts of Saudi citizens on 9-11.
It goes back to that rigid mentality that the writer mentions that USA has not done any thinking about the Saudis.

Americans always treat people from the Middle East as an enemy or a hostile person, even if that person is an 80 year old woman on a wheelchair or an old man hardly walking with a cane. IF they travel, they are considered suspicious and they take their finger print at the border and search them.

Simply, they are not civilised enough or that they are not smart enough to judge for themselves, all because it was not on TV the night before.....

I remember a middle-aged American businessman in Istanbul that was steaming mad for several hours because he had miscalcuated and paid an additional $3 to a Turkish taxi driver. He wanted to call the Embassy and take "action".

In August 1999, I was in a Turkish 5 star luxury hotel. There was a strong earthquake (which killed about 18000 people). Electricity went out for about 30 seconds before emergency power was started. Several tourists were screaming mad about why there is no electricity!!

I guess it is part of that intolerance that the writer mentions.

Now that Brittney Spears has shaved her head and the Los Angeles beauty salon is selling some of her discarded hair on eBay, for a cool $1 million or higher offer!!, then we can go back and frame it all in perspective.

Too bad Anna Nicole Smith is no longer around to give us expert analysis on CNN and FoxNews.

The Poster AN INDIAN, and economist has forgotten that Iraq's pre-war oil exports was about 2m barrels a day and at $60 a barrel, it is a mere $120m a day. Spare change for America's 13 trillion Dollar economy.

However, his other points about devaluation is correct: the main reason for devaluation of the USD is to devalue the 7.5 trillion Dollar mountain of debt that America has piled up.

I have lived in USA for a year, about 10 months in Canada and 4 years in UK and I am from India and thats where I grew up.I found American people to be the most friendly and welcoming as compared to any other place I lived at (including India).

The way America has progressed is just great..
But the problem is that development of other countries is not in the best interest of USA and its just too obvious these days with USA going over the top to control whats going in the world...

The Only reason USA attacked Iraq (Saddam) was that he was going to shift his oil trade from the mighty US dollar to Euros and if you have any doubts or feel like correcting me then you need to go back to the classroom again and get a few lessons.
The shift from US dollar to euros would have littrally killed the US dollar and would have devalued it even more (Yes I completed my masters in macro economics and currently doing my phd in New delhi).Devaluation of the dollar is good for the present government coz a US citizen is getting more bang for a buck as compared to when the value was high but its to a certain limit until when this phenomina contineus and after that a 1929 will repeat itself and that isint gonna be a short one coz some things which are far too complicated for this debate here are irriversible.

OK, now we can get started on solving the problems. No problem was solved without discussion or with war.

As the author states, the military budgets of the two countries are very much different.

Also to the poster from Germany above: it is not the fault of soldiers. It is the fault of their planners and commanders.

Many have stated their opinion and grievances and aired out their emotions,some even crossing the line and insulting the writer or others....but none of the posters have suggested a logical way to go forward, putting the past behind us.

Is that too hard? The writer has a point about EU and how Europeans have put centuries of war and blood behind them. Can we, as readers of PG, do the same thing? or at least try to be constructive?

Interesting.

Looks like the posting person Old Atlantic is going thru a panic attack or some sort of bad LSD episode of the paranoid kind.

If countries are smart enough to make bombs, miniature nukes as you say, then they will not just get up one sunny day and start bombing the rest of the world, especially if they know the other side is powerful enough to respond.

the affairs of the world are more complicated than a childish interpretation.

To HALOZCEL

I prefer to be reasonable and not free.....

To HALOZCEL

Things are relative. Iranian women have more rights than Saudis, for example. You have to think about the region in general.
But it seems that Saudis are the darling of Uncle Same.

Someone says,no nation including America has right to call another nation Evil.You are right.No nation has right to call another nation Great Satan.The civilised world has rules and rules are for everybody.You are completely right.Man can take four women but woman can not take four men.Man can show his hair but woman can not show her hair.Ray Charles singing Unchain my heart let me be...Yes,yes unchain your head and BE FREE.

Excellent observations. Very interesting points.

The Great Depression may be around the corner. The housing market here in USA is in an alarming state and the stock market is going back to the crazy valuations of 1999.

This is a discussion about a question posed to the panel. Why people are getting emotional about a discussion?

I agree with CIVILISED VOTER above. We should take vote at the UN to see who is more "dangerous". The point is that Iran's case is limited to the region, but Uncle Sam cannot put up a good defence about the rest of the world, to start with:

1> how Americans treat blacks and Mexicans in its own country? and

2> why America has the 2nd highest rate of criminal convictions, per 100'000 of its own population? and

3> Why Americans have the highest rate of gunshot wounds suffered, as measured on basis of per 100'000 people?

Just some kind of mental gymnastics here. Afterall, this is a blog for global discussion and exchange of ideas.....

Let's assume that the eintire world will impose a complete embargo on USA, and no body will sell any thing to it, call in all USD debts and treasuy paper and bank credits,.... and no body will trade in U.S.d dollars, no oil from friendly Saudi and Kuwaiti tyrants, no cheap goods from China for Wal-Mart; no good quality cars and trucks from Germany or Japan; and no cheap labour from Mexico and Central America.

What will happen then? A more angry America? or a more level-headed one?

This also answers a lot of issues...... in respect to the contemplated sanctions on Iran and whether it is the way to go to further isolate Iran....of whether it will solve any problems.

Let's remember that during the Cold War, the USA and USSR had embassies in each other's capitals and they sat down every once in a while and had frank, if inconclusive discussions. In today's crazy situation, there is no sanity here. Iran and USA have no official forum of talking with each other and the media circus is playing both sides so that it can sell you and I more soap and tooth paste. A TV game show, it is not!

Let's put the question of this round of debate (Who is more dangerous, Iran or USA) to a vote at the UN General Assembly. And there should be a yes-or-no secret ballot. Simple!

That is why we have a forum such as UN (at least in theory), is it not? And the media should report it, not spin and twist the event.

It is amazing to read the comments above.
And it is very easy to figure out which ones are American. They are most likely to be victims of media bombardment. Their minds appear to be heavily polluted with one-way injections of propaganda and they have not allowed themselves to thing. The attacking tone towards this writer is starkly obvious, only because he is in Iran and Iran is the Bad Guy of the Day.

Other columnists in PostGlobal, some quoting Putin, have sounded similar concerns, but they are not attacked to such degree.

The author has differentiated between American people and their great contributions to the world and American government's foreign policy. And the core of the matter at hand is (a) respect for dignity of other people, and (b) whether or not all nations must live by the same rules and deal with each other on a even turf.

The short memories of commentators refer to Ahmadinejad's speeches, but forget the fact that the previous Iranian president (Khatami) invited the world to a dialogue instead of confrontation, talked about democratic values and quoted de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America"....but again 95% of Americans probably don't know what this book is all about.

It is probable that 95% of Americans also do not realise that Iran is the only country in the Middle East that has a living former president. That kind of political maturity cannot be found elsewhere in the region (or even in ex-USSR states).

If one follows the case of Nicaragua vs. USA in the World Court in The Hague, you can better understand the need for equal treatment. Nicaragua won and USA withdrew from the treaty, as it considers itself above and beyond the law and treaties that it has signed. That is very unfortunate!

The civilised world has rules and rules are for every body. It is indisputable that no nation, including America, has a right to call another nation "evil". It is especially unbecoming conduct of a powerful, education nation.

I'm a Kraut and I stand with the United States of America - the greatest Nation ever! If someone is against America, then he is against me too!

Here in Germany, and also in Europe, the NAZIS and Commmunists are still alive, therefore, it's no wonder, that anti-Americanism is wide spreaded across Europe. The reason is, is that the news-media are censored, so the people do not know, what's really going on. All news they get are one-sided.

However, Americans should give a big nothing about what the European hardheads are talking, because it's part of the NAZI-Propaganda here in Europe, especially here in Germany. In addition, Europe is a safe haven for terrorists.

America is doing great and there's nothing wrong with it! Iran is a dictatorship and the people over there cannot wait to get liberated. So what?

Thanks to the finest and brightest men and women of the United States - Our Troops!

Support the Troops at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil

God bless America, Our Troops and their Families!

Doug and Sgt Johnson :

The Iranian people have a lot in common with the American people and a great admiration for the Americans and their values but everything against the inhumane Israeli foreign policies which is carried out principally through its proxy and hence creating so much resentments towards Americans world wide . Anyone least familiar with the Iranian society would confirm they are people and peace loving people . However , if the Israelis sought to maximize the use of their agent during his remaining time in office and your wish came through , I hope you be on board to get acquainted with the Iranians first hand when their sovereignty is threatened .

First off, yes we Americans have contibuted much to the world, but, my country has had its shares of mistakes. The US government sees more shortsighted than some others in the world. We go after the biggest threat at the time. Example, we trained the Taliban and supplied them for their fight against the USSR without learning more about them. We trained and supplied Iraq without thinking of the future problems. Our government has a history of picking favorites when it comes to foreign policy, i.e. this country gets more aid than that one because of diplomatic relations. Wars have been waged by our fighting men and women across the world when people haven't wanted us there. So yeah, we've made mistakes. I don't claim to live in the perfect country.

Secondly, and on the contrary, much of what we have done has been either to protect ourselves, or to protect others. In Somalia, the US sent more troops than any other ten countries combined to aid in the distribution of humanitarian supplies to the citizens of that country. We lost more people than any other country, too. In the Balkans, again, we sent more troops and equipment than any other several countries combined. Indeed, we send more international aid than half the world.

Now our troops are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq to stabilize the areas. If we were evil as organizations such as Hamas, Hizbollah, ect. make us out to be, we would have invaded and left those countries to whatever fates were coming. Instead we stay. We build roads, hospitals, schools, public works, ect. Our troops die, the infrastructure we built to help the people of those countries is destroyed by those organizations claiming to be working for their better good. So, we rebuild those works while more of our men die. We do this now, we did this after World War 2. Pay money and lives to try and help. We could leave, Iraq's government would probably fall, and one part of its population or another would be violently persecuted.

And Dr. Ettefagh, to say, quote, "Iran's desire for fairness and justice," end quote, is, simply put, an outright lie. Or have you missed Iran's president's speeches? So much for fairness and justice.

What about simple things like cartoons of religious icons? Yes, I agree it was unwise and disrespectful for those cartoons to be made. No, I do not think a simple cartoon warranted mass hysteria and rioting across the Middle East as we saw happen. I think I saw a Jesus portrayed in an episode of South Park last night. The only thing missing was riots in the street...

My point is that none of us is without guilt. I know we have shared blame with many of the problems in the Middle East. Those in the Middle East know that. But it seems that what they don't know is that they are as much, if not more, to blame for those problems. Some make it out to be a religious thing. To those, no matter the religion; the Crusades ended hundreds of years ago. If you want all this conflict to end, hunt down or disband these terrorist organizations yourselves. Then you would actually have your fairness and justice, and there would be no need for force, unilaterally or multinationally. Did we have to invade Iraq?, no. And I don't think we should have. Do I agree with our foreign policy?, rarely. But, I also don't think supporting people who strap bombs to themselves to blow up hundreds of civilians is right, either. That is why America's foreign policy in the Middle East is what it is. And only the people in the middle east have the power to change that. And before anyone tries to retaliate by saying the US has killed civilians too, take this into consideration. Our military makes every possible effort and goes out of its way to minimize civilian casualties. Few other countries, and certainly NONE of these jihadist groups, can come close to claiming that. We spend hundreds of millions on "smart" weapons to hit pinpoint targets such as a terrorist leader, ect., when carpet bombing an area would work just as well. I'd like to see Al Qaeda in Iraq spend millions to make a "smart" suicide bomber. Then people will have the right to contradict my statement that.

The US prosecutes and punishes those who harm civilians, we've court-martialled and punished our own soldiers for committing acts of injustice in Iraq. Does Iran punish groups like Hizbollah or Hamas for killing civilians, Dr. Ettefagh?

Dr. Ettefagh,
Although I don't agree with all of your opinion, It was well formed nonetheless. We must be careful to lump everyone into the same basket. I am an American, have served my country all over the world and have had the privilege to take in many different views and opinions. From this experience, I believe the fact remains that the rest of the world feels unequal on the world stage with the U.S. But this is no real news to anyone. Just as the U.N. has a dismal record when it comes to reigning in rogue nations, so too has US foreign policy been a dismal failure trying to acheive the same thing. Why, because we can never shape our policy without the influence of our need for energy security(oil!).It would be like an alcoholic surgeon trying to operate in a liquor store. It just doesn't work.

Unfortunately, the only way to solve this inequity is for the U.S. to acheive energy independence. Only then can U.S. foreign policy be shaped by the need for true world security without having to consider the need for foreign energy resouces. right now, "Big Oil" is dictating our foreign policy which should be unacceptable to any patriotic American!

Dr. Ettefagh, America will learn because we have to. As you said, we are only 5% of the population and emit 30% of the world's greenhouse gases. We will change because there's a 500 pound gorilla standing in the room with us just waiting to smash us into the ground if we go too far. That gorilla is global warming and it will have an effect on our future foreign policy. The world will shudder when they start to feel the shift of the trillions of U.S. dollars previously sent to foreign lands for energy to domestic energy. It won't be over night, but it will come. I hope the world will be ready.

Sir Obvious,

I am a left-leaning Democrat, probaly much like you are. The difference is I won't for an instance think that these people posting on here have any other agenda other than to bad-mouth this nation. They insult the foreign policy of this nation, yet they ignore the good we do, such as being the world's most generous nation.

Diplomacy is more than just about Iraq. What about debt relief? What about our pledges to fight AIDS in Africa? Where is the rest of the world on this? More people will die of AIDS in Africa next year than people in Iraq. I know this country has its faults, but the world is full of shades of gray and not black and white and this country is not wholly evil in its means. Iran, Russia and China take no leads in any global affairs. They crackdown on populations in places like Tibet and Chechnya.
They are not your ally. They dont agree with what you want but they pretend like they do.
Sure they compliment the United States about its advances in those fields, but itd just a shield so they can bash America. Read the posts up there and you wont see any constructive criticism, just what you accuse the United States of doing:Bashing a people based on country of origin.

The problem with the left in this country today is that they have become convinced that Iran is their ally in this manner. Iran is not an ally. The share NONE of my beliefs. Social equality, fairness, generosity, and making the world a better place are not what Iran wants. I dont care if Iran has nukes but I wont for a second and delude myself to thinking that Iran is somehow my friend in this.

Quote:

"The rest of the world appreciates the great contributions of Americans to human progress: modern aircrafts, microchips, communications in the age of the Internet, and great advances in medicine and science (medical imaging machines, DNA mapping, etc). The world has welcomed American people, their pioneering businesses and their popular culture, both music and films."

Enough with the America First stuff! The Americans responding here are typically narcissistic. Personally, I liked the guy with the squid. Bush rolled some big fuzzy dice and now it's Amerika against the world.

Iran should have nukes - I would want them if I lived in that part of the world, and we certainly don't mind Israel keeping some. At the same time, there's some truth to the geopolitical notion that we have a vested interest in keeping that part of the world, if not backward, at least tied up.

Hall, Putin is right - America is the new Rome. The question is, what are we going to do next?

Lets be honest. Most of you who have come on here are gleeful that the United States has failed in Iraq. A part of you is happy inside each time you turn on the news and you hear of another car bombing or US soldier killed.

You like to make fun of us and our childish selves. Yet you use the Internet, something developed in California. You might drive a car, something invented in America. You may travel by plane, something else invented in America.

Has your nation put a man on the moon? What about medical research? Is America's obsession with finding a cure for breast cancer a sign of what childish ambition we have? If you were diagnosed with cancer, would you turn down the chance to be treated at the Mayo Clinic of Johns Hopkins?

What about computers? What computer are you using right now? What Operating System is it using? Is it made in America? It probaly is.

Check your wardrobe: Maybe you will see an American company there. Oh what its made in China? Why dont you give it back then since your such an advocate? Oh, but who fights these corportations to pay those poor workers fairly? The United States.

How much money did Iran donate to tsunami relief after the 2004 Indian Ocean Quake? Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, got $ 450,000,000 from the United States. that was just government aid. how about all the charities in the United States too? Iran gave more money to arm Hezbollah than to help tsunami victims. Is not one of the tenets of Islam to give to the poor?

We are the first in to any nation when a disaster strikes? Who offered to help Iran when an earthquake hit Bam?

Its funny to see how many people characterize this country as selfish and arrogant yet it donates more money to disaster relief and financial aid than any other two nations on Earth.

Who mapped the human genome by the way? Where was the Red Cross created? Who was the first nation to institute labor unions?

We have our faults as well. I know that. I dont think it was right to invade Iraq. I dont think its right to attack Iran. But its funny how many people ive read in this thread make fun of the United States as being selfish, arrogant, condescending, etc. You gloat how the United States is falling down. Yet if an earthquake hits ur town I wonder how many of you are expecting to see an Iranian helicopter drop supplies in on you or a Russian field medic coming to help you out.

But you insult a nation and its people and gloat in its demise yet you take full advantage of the benefits it offers you.

Europe’s opinion of the U.S.

See, I stopped reading right here. Who gives a damn what Europe thinks of the US? Europe is dying, with nothing left to believe in, an aging socialist system and hordes of muslims on their doorstep waiting with baited breath to implement sharia law. Europe, when the Islamist foot is on your throat and you look pleadingly across the Atlantic, remember, you chose this route - to stick your thumb in America's eye. Good luck with the future you cowards.

I think this an unjust attack, in general, on the United States. The fact is Iran wants a nuclear bomb. They want to wipe countries off of the face of the Earth. The United States does not have to do anything. These bombs would never be used against the United States for this would result in the complete destruction of everyone in Iran in minutes.

United States is acting in Iraq or Iran for its own interest but the worlds. Any calculation on oil or otherwise is untrue. For the price of Iraq alone the United States could place its grid entirely on nuclear power and hand a battery powered car to every citizen. Its costs are in the trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars when future equipment replacement, benefits of injured, and other items are considered.

The failure of US policy in this region is the failure of other countries not the United States. Other countries have not helped in the effort at all. If other nations would have matched the US effort or exceeded it in the theatre Iraq would be stable, and Iran's nuclear ambitions non-existant.

This failure will alter US policy in the future towards isolationism lessening the percentage GDP which will be devoted defense. This will further improve quality of life in the United States by lowering taxes and allowing the purchase of even more cars and xboxs.

However, I would just like to say how dangerous the world will be when US intervention ends. The world has cheered our failure in Iraq and quagmire with Iran, but with a renewed isolationist US sentiment who will stop Iran from building the bomb? Who will stop them from using it?

Just be careful what you wish for.

Your Friend,
The American who wants Iran to have a nuclear bomb because then he can then afford a BMW ;)

A very thoughtful tap dance by a talented author. But the facts remain; Iran is an extreme theocracy bent on becomming the dominant regional player. It has used violence in the form of; covert bombing of US military forces in Lebanon (A UN sponsored mission) and Saudi Arabia; terror attacks against Israeli civilians both in Israel and Argentina; aiding and abbetting known terrorist from Lebanon to North Africa; encouraging and participating in the kidnapping and unlawful inprisionment of 1) US Embassy staff 2) Civilians in Lebanon-including aid workers; mining international waters and calling (on several occasions since 1979) for the destruction of both Israel and the United States. Having said all this, I would prefer peace to war. I remember the candles in the streets of Theran after 9/11... and I was moved. But if IRGC is killing US service members in Iraq, the gloves come off. No more. No less.

TO; BIG AHMAD

FROM; Bobster

Mr. Ahmad, What I was referring to when I said
" a bone to pick" was the authors disregard for history to make his case. I can respect his opinion in regards to his belief that america is to blame for all the worlds problems. Not that I agree with it though. But to use "half-truths" to make ones point is not right sir. That is why I did not reply in detail to his post. We have politicians from both sides who distort history, and other important issues to make their case on a subject. These type of people are normally so closed minded that they don't debate an issue, they attack the other persons point of view. They take facts, and make them half truths to bolster their arguement. And no, the mess in the middle east is not a game. Unfortunately many of our politicians here in america are using the war as a game, to advance their own issues and careers. While soldiers, and innocent people die. But then again, politicians from all over the world play that game. There is no easy answers for the middle east. More people will surely die. Even if american packs up their toys and goes home, their will be more death, and destruction. That region of the world has a large quantity of oil, that is a fact. Also, there is hate and animosity amongst many of the people for various reasons. Religion being one. Plus a host of other differences. Many americans believe that we can just come home and hide here with an ocean to protect us, as we did for centuries before. We have polticians who reinforce that belief. If america stays in the middle east, or hides back at home. There is still going to be more death and suffering. So, no its not a game.

If you are not permitted to go to stadium,watch on TV.Manchester United-Reading is starting now,later Real Madrid-Real Betis.Please try to be civilized man,read Omar Hayyam not Terrorist.Please try to come to twentyfirst century.Many thanks...

As the Bible says....and the truth shall set you free!

Thanks for speaking out.

Perhaps America should stay on the Moon as it cannot get along with other 95% of the people on this planet!

Football is a man's sport anyhow....

Someone says,America is a young nation and it has to grow up.You are right.Young America went to the Moon within two hundred years but although iran is the one of oldest nation,iranian women couldnt go to stadium.You shall remove the chain on your head.

RDJRDJ above talks about selling arms from a country that is the world leader in arms sales. He makes reference to Karine-A Affair but forgets that the American government ripped off the Iranian government to ILLEGALLY arm Nicaraguan rebels (who lost anyway......).

He also talks about using the gun. Gee, what are Americans doing in Iraq these days. It is not a picnic and there has been no democracy in that picnic basket,....but Iraq's 18 billion USD in its UN oil-for-food has gone "missing"....gee, how did that happen?

I congratulate the writer for speaking out and writing. It is doubtless that a noticeable majority will agree with the writer.

To RDJRDJ of Princeton,

Here you go again, the righteous posture that the writer talks about. Since when is it OK for Americans to say what is right or wrong in the Middle East?

Secondly, USA declared in Januray 1980 in Algiers that it will respect Iran's sovereignty and not interfere with its internal affairs. Alas, the American President calls for regime change and the American Congress passes budgets to destablise Iran, not to mention giving WMD to Saddam to gas Iranians. Promises must be kept, are they not?

Thirdly, it has been widely reported that back in 2003, the Iranian government formally approached America for talks. But the Swiss Ambassador in Tehran, representing U.S. interests in Iran, was roughed up for even sending bringing the proposal to Washington as the White House said we don't talk to "Evil". That means there is absolutely no genuine intention or good will in Washington to even start good faith discussions.

So, time for a climb down. Iran has taken the initiative to follow civilised rule and dialogue. Can't say the same thing about USA....unfortunately!!!

The United States since the WWII has evolved gradually onto a giant squid with its head on the mainland but arms extended around the globe, sucking the blood of its friends and foes alike to stay alive. It would be sad to see this giant squid finally harpooned to death by some Mr. Ned Land from within. Let us remember Rome and other great empires. They are only remembered in the history books. We must safeguard USA, but make it more humane and stop being a giant squid.

Dr. Ettefagh says, "America's righteous, exclusive and intolerant posture contrasts with Iran's desire for fairness and justice."
-----------
This is the strongest of the recent posturing coming out of Iran - they offer the world "fairness and justice".