More blithe racism

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by Watser?

And if there was no France the US would have remained a colony.

And if the moon was made of cheese the mold would extend to beyond Jupiter.

Norway and Sweden are actually pretty big spenders on 'defense' per citizen. They have very small populations, so it doesn't show up on the radar.

But you never let any facts get in the way, did you?

And what you call defense of the US, I call an empire.

Ohh, I call it an empire also, and I am against empire. In fact it is the poorest run empire in the history of the world, instead of pillaging, for the most part America has given.

[Watser?]

Bullcrap.

It is in fact pretty close to an example from antiquity: the Delian League.

Ask the Chileans, the Iranians, the Guatemalans, the Salvadorians etc. about the giving nature of the US. The US has only the interests of its corporations in mind. Not that there is anything new or different about an empire that only has its own interests at heart. What's new is the number of people willing to believe that it is all done for noble purposes.

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by Watser?

Bullcrap.

It is in fact pretty close to an example from antiquity: the Delian League.

Ask the Chileans, the Iranians, the Guatemalans, the Salvadorians etc. about the giving nature of the US. The US has only the interests of its corporations in mind. Not that there is anything new or different about an empire that only has its own interests at heart. What's new is the number of people willing to believe that it is all done for noble purposes.

It is done for hegemony, some believe that a noble purpose, I do not.

In some places the the carrot is used, in others the stick is used.

[MonCapitan2002]

It seems you both generally agree on the sentiment that the US is an empire while disagreeing on the semantics being used. For some reason, this amuses me a little.

[Watser?]

I wouldn't think him saying the US has mainly been 'giving' and me saying the US rules the world so its corporations can loot it, is semantics...

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by Watser?

I wouldn't think him saying the US has mainly been 'giving' and me saying the US rules the world so its corporations can loot it, is semantics...

I don't believe and didn't mean to convey that the "US has mainly been giving". Think of it like a bribe if you like. To ignore the fact that the American Empire does use it's resources in many areas to the benefit of those places is to construct a false reality.

[Watser?]

Alright then.

I think the Marshall Plan had more to do with restoring an important market for US goods than with bribing the Europeans, but maybe it was a bit of both.

For the record: I don't have any illusions about the benevolence of the former Dutch 'Empire' (which consisted mostly of what is now Indonesia) either.

[Caligulette]

Originally Posted by JEROME DA GNOME

Ohh, I call it an empire also, and I am against empire. In fact it is the poorest run empire in the history of the world, instead of pillaging, for the most part America has given.

Originally Posted by JEROME DA GNOME

I don't believe and didn't mean to convey that the "US has mainly been giving". Think of it like a bribe if you like. To ignore the fact that the American Empire does use it's resources in many areas to the benefit of those places is to construct a false reality.

Sounds like you're saying it has been a lot of giving.

[Adam]

Alternately, he could be claiming that we often improve local conditions when we exploit an area for our own benefit. That's arguably true, depending on your definition of "improve".

[Caligulette]

I would argue that point. I mean, how localised is the improvement? Does it reach your general person on the street? If not, then it is yet another layer of oppression.

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by Caligulette

Sounds like you're saying it has been a lot of giving.

Now the argument is the degrees?

[Caligulette]

"for the most part" and "mainly" would indicate degrees. Pay attention to what you write.

[Angakuk]

The big question is whether or not the U.S. Empire has given MUCH.

[Jerome]

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Angakuk

The big question is whether or not the U.S. Empire has given MUCH.

Where "MUCH" is defined as a value between 9 and 10%?

[Kael]

But... It's such a SIGNIFICANT 9=10%!

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Caligulette

I would argue that point. I mean, how localised is the improvement? Does it reach your general person on the street? If not, then it is yet another layer of oppression.

That's why I said "arguably", and pointed out that it depends on how you define "improve". I actually agree with you, but I don't think it's self-evident that we're right.

[Joshua Adams]

In other news, Republicans continue to be classy, classy bunch.

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by Joshua Adams

In other news, Republicans continue to be classy, classy bunch.

If one wants to be offended and see racism, yep.

[Watser?]

If one is a contortionist who wants to reason away institutionalised racism, one might manage not to see it because one's head is up one's ass.

[MonCapitan2002]

The problem here is that some people's bigotry is so deeply ingrained that they don't recognize it for what it is.

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002

The problem here is that some people's bigotry is so deeply ingrained that they don't recognize it for what it is.

Like Supreme Count nominee Judge Sotomayor?

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion [as a judge] than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

Yes, racism is ingrained into the progressive community, you are correct.

[Clutch Munny]

Would you like to spell out that argument? The picture showing Obama as a pair of eyes isn't racist because so is something Sotomayor said, once? That's what you're running up the flagpole, at this point?

[MonCapitan2002]

Originally Posted by JEROME DA GNOME

Like Supreme Count nominee Judge Sotomayor?

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion [as a judge] than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

Yes, racism is ingrained into the progressive community, you are correct.

Let me rephrase my comment. I am saying you are being willfully ignorant by denying the racist sentiment in that image. That the twit who posted it is feeling bad more about who it was sent to then the sentiment expressed shows that her bigotry is so ingrained that she doesn't see it for what it is.

Not all bigotry is blatant. There is a term I have heard of. It is "death of a thousand cuts". That image was but one small cut amongst undoubtedly many. She is a bigot of the worst sort since it isn't obvious and most people would find excuses for her comments or the image she sent than to call it out for the racist sentiment it expresses.

[Jerome]

Rihanna is racist.