Is our country Imperialistic?

[dt3]

No all the time. Look at what we did to the Native Americans. Thats just one example.

I'm not saying it was right, but our country is still here.

 

[All Else Failed]

I'm not saying it was right, but our country is still here.

It was the wanton massacre of an entire people....which we didn't even have to do.

 

[dt3]

It was the wanton massacre of an entire people....which we didn't even have to do.

Our country never would've survived a long, drawn-out insurrection within it's borders and stifling westward expansion.

Show me a historical example of ONE country/empire that didn't do everything it could to ensure it's survival.

Obviously, you can't because they were destroyed.

Again, I'm not saying it was right or wrong, but it was obviously successful.

 

[All Else Failed]

All governments affect their country's economy and hopefully in a way that keeps their employment rate low and people working so that they can feed their families.


Of course we have interests in oil. It FUELS the economy. It fuels all business. It is how we all still have jobs. And oil will continue to be of huge interests until we put a fuel alternative into widespread use.

That's just reality.

Annnnnd thats why we're in the middle east. In order for a superpower to remain a superpower, it needs raw resources on the cheap.

 

[dt3]

Annnnnd thats why we're in the middle east. In order for a superpower to remain a superpower, it needs raw resources on the cheap.

Which is why a country NEEDS to be imperialistic. Surely you're not suggesting our government should just do nothing and let our entire way of life simply implode?

 

[All Else Failed]

Our country never would've survived a long, drawn-out insurrection within it's borders and stifling westward expansion.

Show me a historical example of ONE country/empire that didn't do everything it could to ensure it's survival.

Obviously, you can't because they were destroyed.

Again, I'm not saying it was right or wrong, but it was obviously successful.

Firstof all, any colonies even BEING set up in America in the first place, is imperialism. So, you already have imperialism built into the early American settlements. We actually had a VERY good relationship with most of the Indian tribes for a long while in the beginning, but as our hunger for more land and resources grew, we began pushing them back. We didn't do it for survival, we did it for economic and political reasons.

 

[dt3]

Firstof all, any colonies even BEING set up in America in the first place, is imperialism. So, you already have imperialism built into the early American settlements. We actually had a VERY good relationship with most of the Indian tribes for a long while in the beginning, but as our hunger for more land and resources grew, we began pushing them back. We didn't do it for survival, we did it for economic and political reasons.

Ok, enlighten me. What economic and political reasons did we do it for?

 

[All Else Failed]

Which is why a country NEEDS to be imperialistic. Surely you're not suggesting our government should just do nothing and let our entire way of life simply implode?

So topple any government that has the shit we need? Great Idea. By your logic you wouldn't mind China crossing the ocean and taking what they would like from us? Its only fair.

We should stop pandering to oil companies and special interest groups that basically run the government. Our way of life is corrosive to the rest of the world.

 

[dt3]

So topple any government that has the shit we need? Great Idea. By your logic you wouldn't mind China crossing the ocean and taking what they would like from us? Its only fair.

We should stop pandering to oil companies and special interest groups that basically run the government. Our way of life is corrosive to the rest of the world.

They're welcome to try. See, to ensure it's survival, our government has built up the most powerful military in the world. And they've ensured we have the oil to run it.

 

[All Else Failed]

Ok, enlighten me. What economic and political reasons did we do it for?

The various English shipping companies had a major interest in the gold/silver/lumber resources that they thought were in America. They gave settlers pieces of land outside of the already established colonies to settle and work for them, while invading Native American land. We also believed we had divine right to expand as much as possible to build a stronger nation, which in part displaced entire cultures and was basically a near genocide against the Native Americans.

 

[All Else Failed]

They're welcome to try. See, to ensure it's survival, our government has built up the most powerful military in the world. And they've ensured we have the oil to run it.

So that gives us the right to invade others to grab up things we need and break international law?

 

[dt3]

The various English shipping companies had a major interest in the gold/silver/lumber resources that they thought were in America. They gave settlers pieces of land outside of the already established colonies to settle and work for them, while invading Native American land. We also believed we had divine right to expand as much as possible to build a stronger nation, which in part displaced entire cultures and was basically a near genocide against the Native Americans.

And it ensured our survival. Plain and simple.

Yes, this nation was founded on imperialistic values, I've already admitted that.

How many successful nations WERE NOT imperialistic? I can't think of one. At all.

In my somewhat limited knowledge of world history, imperialism seems to be the way to ensure continued survival.

 

[dt3]

So that gives us the right to invade others to grab up things we need and break international law?

If our country absolutely has to, then yes, it should do everything to ensure it's survival.

You've said you'd kill someone in self-defense. You'd kill somebody to ensure your survival if there was no other option.

Why shouldn't a country?

 

[All Else Failed]

And it ensured our survival. Plain and simple.

Yes, this nation was founded on imperialistic values, I've already admitted that.

How many successful nations WERE NOT imperialistic? I can't think of one. At all.

In my somewhat limited knowledge of world history, imperialism seems to be the way to ensure continued survival.

No...we didn't need to expand to ensure anything. We were extremely friendly with the majority of the native American tribes in the beginning, until we got greedy.

The majority of nations use Imperialism to a certain degree, some more than others. Thats why I think fictitious things like borders need to be dissolved.


Your thinking about the concept of Imperialism all wrong. You think its a NEED for a country to stay alive, while that is simply not true.

 

[All Else Failed]

If our country absolutely has to, then yes, it should do everything to ensure it's survival.

You've said you'd kill someone in self-defense. You'd kill somebody to ensure your survival if there was no other option.

Why shouldn't a country?

Oh come on! Invading a country for oil is self defense? Thats ridiculous.

 

[dt3]

No...we didn't need to expand to ensure anything. We were extremely friendly with the majority of the native American tribes in the beginning, until we got greedy.

The majority of nations use Imperialism to a certain degree, some more than others. Thats why I think fictitious things like borders need to be dissolved.


Your thinking about the concept of Imperialism all wrong. You think its a NEED for a country to stay alive, while that is simply not true.

Yet you haven't provided a single example of a country that has survived without being imperialistic.

 

[All Else Failed]

Yet you haven't provided a single example of a country that has survived without being imperialistic.

Switzerland

 

[dt3]

Oh come on! Invading a country for oil is self defense? Thats ridiculous.

In the interest of debate, I won't question that we went to war for oil.

Let's say our country ran out of oil. Our military and economy grind to a halt. Our way of life is destroyed.

Oil keeps our country alive, I hope you won't deny that. In order to ensure it's continued survival, the country has to guarantee it has oil.

 

[All Else Failed]

In the interest of debate, I won't question that we went to war for oil.

Let's say our country ran out of oil. Our military and economy grind to a halt. Our way of life is destroyed.

Oil keeps our country alive, I hope you won't deny that. In order to ensure it's continued survival, the country has to guarantee it has oil.

That wouldn't justify invading another country and killing its people.

 

[dt3]

Switzerland

For the first 400 years of it's history, Switzerland was part of the Holy Roman Empire, which I'm sure you'll agree was imperialism at it's finest.