I get what he is saying and understand it, but it would be interesting to hear it from you anyway. i like stories like this.

-S

The problem is not being "patriotic", "overpatriotic" or whatever you want to name it but what you're using nationalism for, or to hide from.

Speak Ducimus, because there's people out there trying to change kid's perspectives.

Anyway, the flag-gluing posts are simply hilarious. :rotfl:

Or maby I should paint it on her forhead while she sleeps in class.....muhahahaha

I woudlnt know where to begin, theres alot one could say.
You let me off easy howeve, so heres the textbook answer of whats wrong with too much patriotism:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism

If thats too long to read, you can skip down to the section called "Nationalism within a nation." Oh and, Zeig heil.

Now was that really nessicary?:ping:

Well that's a safe bet Skybird. All empires since the beginning of recorded history, global or regional, have "gone down" at some point. The nation who grew the empire always survives, and that has always been enough for me and the overwhelming majority of my countrymen.

Unlike the most empires throughout history our intention has never been to annex new lands and territories. We're not going to loose our overseas colonies because we don't have any.

So what exactly does "gone down" mean in a modern sense? The last empire to fall, the Soviet empire, "went down" only a few years ago (historically speaking), yet Russia not only survives and is beginning to prosper, but according to that article is already plotting it's return to empire.

Someone with a brain finially! :hmm: That is what I have been saying for ages - what empire? There is none. Never quite understood this empire thing. Yes, the US has near world dominance unlike any country before, but we choose not to exercise that dominance and instead deal in a peaceful economic manner - something a country in a position such as this has never done in history. History will see us as an oddball, that is for sure.

-S

PS. Maybe Skybird can clue us in on what territory we will lose? Oops - I forgot - Porto Rico. Strange this is though, they were the ones that wanted to be a US territory. We never asked them to be to my knowledge. Matter of fact, seems to be a good thing to be a territory since you get all the benefits of being part of the US without paying any of the taxes. So maybe it would be a good thing to loose Porto Rico? ;)

Well you could loose the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas Islands. ;) (and Porto Rico as noted)
And are Guam & American Samoa considered part of US territory?

See, america is taking over the world :lol: :rotfl:

Down with the evil empire :stare: :roll: :88)


said with tongue heavily in cheek

They'd all be a good trade for no longer having to listen to the ceasless criticism we've been enduring since the end of the second world war.

She has the right to be anti-american, damnit. Just because she was born in america this does not mean she has any dutys there. At least not from a lefties viewpoint.

Patriotism will lead to Ultra Patriotism, and that will lead to Nationalism, wich will lead to Hitler, Mussolini, Czar, Amadinejad....

That is why i think patriotism is a dangerous disease.

*Gets mad writing this*

I just can't see people like you without going totally mad.

You take to propoganda real easy I notice.

Some day USA will go down, and Russia or Middle East will controle the world. It's not nice this way, but for me, USA in power is the same sucky.

And i'll bet the way "David, Hippie Music and Fidel save the world" (Would be a nice movie title...:hmm:) won't work...:damn::damn::damn:

"Peaceful trade in a nice, economic manner"? Ha Ha. Ha. Now stop taking your governements pills please.

Well, if I am well informed the US just colonized outer space. :hmm:

http://www.fas.org/spp/military/doco...ac/visbook.pdf

That was true for the British, Portuguese and dutch trading empires as well. With the exception of India, they only established trading strongholds at strategic key locations, they focused on seizing coastlines, but did not care much about occupying all the Continental inland. The system of American bases around the globe as well the the dominant influence of the US in the ICF, WTO and NATO (and last but not least: the UN: SC) as well as it's massive influence on politics of other nations and cultural influence by dominating global medias by US medias or medias that follow the opinion policies of these is a parallel to that.

The ability to enforce policies in WTO, ICF and NATO that are in the interests of the US are decreasing, though.

The Brigadier pointed at one thing that you should feel extremely nervous about: China holds the biggest dollar reserves of all your lenders. They already have enough that they could trigger a chain reaction that leads to the international financial markets being flooded with sold dollar reserves from everybody, which would leave the US with a currency that is almost worthless and no longer capable to keep the US economy running. It is running and living on tick. See the ICF warning about the ridiculous volume of US deficit.

Napoleon's dream did not live because the British outsmarted him on financial politics (by potential, France should have been more than strong and rich enough to outlast the British, but Napoleon's handling of finances is said to have been inadequate, at least, while the British tailored a financial system around their war with the French that enabled them to endure much longer than one had to expect if checking their initial resources). Habsburg, Spain, Austria stumbled over financial struggles and increasing deficits. Venice fall began when it was no longer able to claim a position of being a vital centre for the flow of goods and finances. The Netherlands withdraw from competition to financially and economically influence (by trading) Europe for lacking monetarian power. Only the British maybe can be said to have been loosing their empire due to military defeat (the loss of colonies in SE Asia during the chaos of WWII). For the xth time I recommend Paul Kennedy's brilliant book which focuses very much exactly on these aspects in power politics in Europe: the interaction of finance-economy-military. One of the best non-fictional books I have ever red, thick in pages, but fluid reading. Having only one of these three pillars, but not the others, guarantees failure. China invests in all three of these, Russia in military (again) and economy (energy), Iran on finance and oil, while the US focuses on (more and more expensive) military, and Europe on (fading) economy and finances. I see Europe not half as well positioned in the global game as European politicians often claim. additionally, too man players in our team. A power made up of more than two dozen players who all want to be the team captain hardly ever will act as a team: more like a parade of hysteric primadonnas. This will work against us, forever.

That and Europe's other problems.

(Now can you see the link's underline?)

Yes!!!

Now we know her problem. She's a day dreamer. :lol: Maybe if she actually payed attention to the teacher, she might learn something. :ping: :ping:

Looking forward to what you do. muhahahaha. :|\\

He should leave her alone as a sight of tolerance upon the Anti-Whatever-you-arent-against people. ;)

Only A-Holes do such things and piss of classcomrade-Prisoniers with intention. The guards (Teachers) already make it hard enough, by fighting each other and attacking the different you make it hell for her. Do you really wanna do this just because she does not like to get bound and manipulated from a state right form the beginning? Then your what i expected you to be. :ping:

Last post on the shoolgirl matter.

I do not take to propoganda. I analyze. Maybe that makes me a bit more dangerous than the rest of the mindless sheep out there, but i can tell you that I do agree that the US won't last on its current course of self destruction. We need only to look at Europe to see what our future holds and it doesn't look pretty. Also, it won't be an army that does us in either, nor will it be stupid arab terrorists. It will be the US of A's own undoing. The only way to stop it as I can see is to start with campaign spending limitations. Without it, Corporations will continue to run our government in their own special interest.

Matter of fact, the damn islamic terrorists gave US Corps more a break than any harm in my eyes on 9/11. I watched in 2000 as everyone is going around saying business is great and profits are up yadda yadda yadda (talk about propoganda), but in reality, business stank to high hell. The US Corporations were on a collision course with reality and were about to be backed into a corner with no way out but to own up to the fact they were lying to everyone. What happened? SOme dumbasses flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentegon. What happened after that? All the Corporations were just given an 'out' as to why business had turned sour. "Oh, we weren't lying, the 9/11 destroyed the economy!!!! THat is what happened!!!" BS. The economy and all research budgets, everything was already on this collision course in 2000 and by 2002, they would have no way out. Maybe this was an act of god to keep our country propped up in the eyes of the world (when everything was failling), and the terrorists actually helped our country more than hindered it, but I tell you, I wanted the Corps to account for what they had done and they were handed and out on a silver platter.

Just the way I see these things. Forget the propoganda since you won't find an ounce of it here.

-S

to ASWnut101: Remember that when she doesn't stand to pledge allegiance to the United States Flag she is not promising loyalty to our Flag, our states, and our government, so don't feel bad towards someone who doesn't want to be a fellow patriot. You do what's in your heart. If she's the only one not doing it, then I would think that she's already being outcast by many students already, so you make the call. Maybe you could teach her the meaning of being a good patriot. Maybe you could suggest to the teacher of doing something like that. Sometimes setting an example works better... but then again, sometimes just getting even feels good. :up: Just some ideas to think about.

I disagree. Britian, Portugal and the Netherlands all had large permanent colonial possessions that were far more extensive than mere isolated forts and trading centers. These colonies were wholly owned by them, perhaps with promises of future independance, but possessions of the crown nonetheless.

US bases on the other hand are temporary sites that occupy land belonging to and by the permission and invitation of, the host nation. That's a vast, vast difference.

First off, by doing that China destroys, what, half of it's overseas markets? If i'm poor i'm darned sure not going to be buying Chinese made luxury goods like DVD players and Nike sneakers, i'm going to be using what remaining spending power i have to buy food which is a lot easier to produce locally than to ship it from overseas.

Secondly destroying the value of the dollar destroys the value of the dollars they still possess. They could not even release a quarter of their dollar reserves without ruining the value of the remaining 3/4ths.

Thirdly, they not only hurt the US but every one of their trading partners as wel, so interlinked is the world economy these days.

And lastly, artificially lowering the dollars value like that only makes it a valuable commodity for someone else. A smart investor will snap up those cheap dollars and wait until they climb back up to their true value.

At that point where does it leave China? It's own economy severely damaged, it's former customers highly pissed off and now it doesn't have whatever leverage it once had.

You can't really compare European countries and finances where 90% of their empire was on foreign lands, the same place 90% of their economic power came from, with large countries like Russia, China and the US. We're big enough to generate economies that are wholly domestic and self sustaining if necessary. Wasn't the EU an attempt to correct this deficiency?

The only thing that can truely destroy the US is fragmentation. Instead of 50 united states, it would have to be turned into 50 independant countries all squabbling with each other like much of European history. We fought a major civil war to prevent this from happening, and while anything is possible in the future, I don't see that happening here anytime soon.

If anything such an overt attempt to hurt us would tend to band us together even more strongly.

well, another followed on..... and she gets there at the same time as me. it would be nearly impossible get there before her.

And noob, when she dosen't stand for the pledge, she is saying that she is not an american. what is she doing in our school? To many, if you don't stand for it, you don't belong here.

And don't call me an A-hole again.:stare: