Has the US government been this unstable in the past 40 years?

[Takhisis]

Not really. Countries have been making such "demands" of the US since we have risen to power, and nothing ever comes of them. When some country makes a "demand" towards the US, it's nothing more than political theater aimed at trying to fool the population that the regime isn't just a vassal of the US and actually has some international clout.

Do go on.

 

[innonimatu]

What, people can't tell the truth? The US has a patron-vassal relation with its allies, that much has been obvious for a long. long time. All empires do it. It may be a happy one or a harsh one but there is no denying the power disparity and who calls the shots. Remember the "Moderator Action: Redacted the EU" comment by Nuland?

Moderator Action: Do not circumvent the autocensor. --LM
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[innonimatu]

Sorry, it's kind of hard to truthfully quote relevant news if the text must be censored, so I'll just link to the explanation. I had thought hinting at the word was allowed.

Though in the future I'll be tempted to use "[the verb that Assistant Secretary of State Nuland described the EU with]"

 

[Zkribbler]

Remember the EU comment by Nuland?

You're talking about the illegally taped conversation, taken out out context and twisted, which does not suggest any action by the US, but which sent Russian disinformation czars into a lather?

Although I don't disagree with your "patron-vassa" assertion, I would have chosen different words, in that the US, as leader of the West.led the world into an unmatched era of prosperity and freedom.

 

[Commodore]

Do go on.

Are we going to have a real conversation here or are you just going to keep dodging the fact that Turkey's demands mean nothing and that you only think they do mean something not because the US is actually losing influence, but because you, personally, just wish the US were losing influence? You are seeing what you want to see and letting your personal anti-US feelings cloud your judgement.

 

[Takhisis]

What, people can't tell the truth? The US has a patron-vassal relation with its allies, that much has been obvious for a long. long time. All empires do it. It may be a happy one or a harsh one but there is no denying the power disparity and who calls the shots. (… <censored>)

Oh, I'd better non-sarcastically and non-Socratically clarify that I do not disagree with this statement. I was just pointing out the inconsistency between claiming for oneself the title of defender of democracy who cannot be held to account for anything and then saying that everyone should be kowtowing in thanks to the US and then calling them a protectorate who'd better do as they are told or else. It's typical imperial high-handedness (remember a recent bit of discussion on the British still saying that India ought to thank them, in the Brexit thread) but I feel a duty to call it out nonetheless.