New data from Pew Research shows a record number of Americans averse to military interventionism internationally, with a strong majority believing the US should “mind its own business.”
Analysts are trying to spin this as “disillusionment” with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and indeed another polling figure reveals most believe the past decade of war has left the US “less important and powerful.”
But they seem to be okay with the idea of being less powerful, as most believe the US tries to do too much intervening abroad, and pushes for a “shared leadership” role.
Voter wishes are starkly in contrast with political leadership in both parties, which continue to see the idea of American aggression abroad as an end unto itself, and push for the US to get ever more involved across Europe and the Middle East.
If you want for democracy to work, start make it work at home, I mean your home. No one ever have offered anything about a functioning democracy to USG or American people, the concept simply cannot be imported by any means nor can it be sold to highest bidder. Knowing about a functioning democracy requires knowledge, knowledge needs to be studied by those whom are experienced, Dick Cheney cannot, nor Bill Clinton or Hillary Clinton would have or able to represent such concept, they are simply the far right politicians whom vigorously refuse to act democratically.
USA consider himself to be the greatest democracy, so was the Roman democracy, on the planet without having such constitution, social constituted laws claiming that USA is the only democracy, yet, domestically millions are homeless but the objectives of USG is to provide democracy elsewhere.
What the USA establishment, or far right democrats or republican presents to the world is a forced democracy using its muscles, its militarism regime, promoting corruption and bribery; therefore, the American concept in democracy always been falsified and presented as such.
trying to spin this as “disillusionment” with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Very, very good call. What I think it is… normal, or very nearly normal, people eventually got comfortable with beating down certain nonsense…and at the same time the more strictly Congenital GWoT-Sucker, who used to get away with e.g. outright tantrums, lost a lot of 'righteous' energy & had to adapt as rhetoric (s)he parroted started noticeably making eyes roll (perhaps as (s)he casually barfed up a slogan on the web while trying to articulate some hitherto barely examined sentiment). 'Disillusionment' probably best applies to the latter category: it was pretty damn obvious from the beginning those wars would last as long as you let 'em; they hadn't had a clue they'd have to continue to rationalize what they'd doom the rest of us to.
Disillusion my butt. The people have awoken to the consequences of imperial and corporate warfare.They see the legless and armless veterans, the suicides, our huge debt, the big patriotic mouths in the media, and the jobless ones so sad and anxiety wracked.America is awash with pain. We are loping into a new uncharted era.I hope that righteousness and compassion will rule the new times.
"…starkly in contrast with political leadership in both parties…"
And if we are to move past our current morass, we have to replace the political leadership with those more in tune with the American people's desires. The problem, though PEW indicates a "strong majority" there are many who are quite content to maintain the current status quo – they generally hate change, especially if it is initiated by those who are of a different thought persuasion (ideology).
It is going to take a cosmic event horizon to shake the core of the American people before we move beyond the stupidity we're currently engaged in. Society is, IMO, on the threshold of a meltdown. Civil discourse is devolving into flame wars and just plain old bad manners. People don't want to listen to each other because they already "know" what the others think (they think) – remember, you're either with us or agin us.
I don't see how anything but the total collapse of civil society can set the stage for a renewed civil engagement between people.
Or, you could just vote for someone different this fall. I know it would be more disappointing to you than to talk about 'total collapse of civil society'. But, perhaps you could just vote out these crooks, then get your end-of-the-world kicks from watching a TV show about the Zombie Apocalypse?
Gotta love the people who always claim to be in the opposition, but then spend their time trying very hard to tell people who want change that change is always impossible.
Change is possible, and possible as soon as Nov.
You make baseless assumptions about what I've done in the past and what I'll do in the future. Since you don't know me nor how I have voted in the past I will point out that you prove my point…
In the era of globalization, state sovereignty and minding our own business seem almost quaint.
But I guess the amount of hatred we generate from meddling and killing and generally sticking our big hooked nose in where it doesn't belong must make a lot of money for some people, somewhere.
If the idea was to weaken the US image abroad and drain it of much blood and treasure, I would say the people who were in charge knew exactly what they were doing. Even staunch allies seem to be questioning the wisdom of some of our actions.
Unsurprising, but more very bad news for the Israel Lobby.
Barry Soetero is more concerned about LGBT rights To bother with unimportant matters
You know, I have seen these exact SAME poll results since the 1970's. But somehow the US manages to find a new generation of psychopath baby-killing lowlifes whenever it needs them.
Apparently there is no shortage. The obvious question is HOW? Is it something in the water? A McDonalds additive? A 24/7 media brainwashing? Hollywood?
It HAS to be SOMETHING that creates an entire cultural milieu predisposed to wanton war crimes and unrepentant mass-murder. No?
There's kind of a subculture that think, deep down, that certain salient myths do it; as if you could find the right one to bust, and wallah! E.g., I saw a Moon-Landing-is-fake guy say that if people don't believe in ML anymore "then there gos American exceptionalism." But I can't believe that one could possibly be so central.
But I think there is a specific myth that will take exceptionalism with it on it's way out. It evokes travel-back-in-time sorta rescue fantasies among young men, it's currently mandatory material for schoolchildren, it sees unbelievers as just plain evil, it makes the US into heroic liberators practically by definition, it's debunking would necessarily show just the right set of people to be liars or suckers, it's key to NATO's origins ( http://www.nato.int/history/ "…Alliance’s creation was part of a broader … forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe…"), it's evoked somehow or another every time USg wants to inflict mass whackings, it's illegal to "deny" in 17 countries, …
…have a guess, already? I could add I was USN '98-'04, and when this myth left me I never bought a US war again. If it gos away on a large scale, so does overt US war.
Could be any number of things, terrorism, Zionism, communism, socialism, LGBT rights :), central banking, Anglo supremacy, etc…
Regarding the faked moon landing, watch Kubrick's The Shining very closely: he pretty much admits to having faked it.
it's illegal to "deny" in 17 countries, …
All on your list have a large number of opponents or just people cynical about them who'll even get a fair amount of play. LBGT 'rights' is funny–like yer not letting them sit in the front of the bus or something.
Hadn't heard that about The Shining. But I know if you pause at exactly 32:23 in Bridge Over The River Quai you get the best cookie recipe ever.
Cool. I've actually been to the Kwai Bridge in Thailand. Much more impressive in person. And the train travel is like something out of The Man Who Would Be King! Moving to the Kingdom of Siam permanently pretty soon as well.
You know Bangkok has 75,000 restaurants and over 500,000 street food vendors? That's official numbers, the reality is likely double. Foody freaking capital of the world.
…but I digress
HOW?
Let's see.
1) No draft. With an all-volunteer force, largely due to America having a permanent underclass, the government doesn't have to worry about Vietnam-era protests.
2) A complicit corporate news media that will spout the Washington group-think party line.
3) No accountability. Start a war in the USA and you won't be tried in any international court of law or become a pariah. You will retire into a nice and rich sinecure somewhere, get a cushy job at some institution or become a talking head on TV. And it doesn't even matter if you get it all wrong. No "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq? No problem! Charged with committing a war crime by attacking another country under false pretences? Are you kidding me???
The bottom line is that war does not always build power and prestige. The wars of the last 15 years have made it clear that if we wage war it must not be at the convienence or for the benefit of the few. Even in a unipolar world a fool and his power are soon parted. Never has a nation sacrificed so much to gain so little.