Preferred overlords

[Peuri]

I for one will welcome our alien overlords.

I might welcome good alien overlords too, as long as they are not like the Ur-Quan or something like that.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

I voted aliens... but that's making the assumption that they're good-hearted ones which want to advance the primitive races of the universe. If they're conquest-crazed psychopaths, I'll be torn between the EU, USA, and India.

 

[Nylan]

The EU's naivete?! The US has a naivete rating of the average British 7 year old.

And your substitution of insults for anything vaguely useful in a debate proves my point . Can you give any evidence (other than anything horribly biased and pertaining to the current administration) that the US has EVER had the naivete of a 7 year old.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Can you give any evidence (other than anything horribly biased and pertaining to the current administration) that the US has EVER had the naivete of a 7 year old.

That our parents (Europe) were doing the right thing?

 

[LucyDuke]

The citizenry?! What! Hell no, it's not the citizenry! The American people elected Bush to power, and he and his administration wanted a war. Once the president is in power, the will of the people mean squat.

What I mean by "the citizenry" is that there is no way that an isolationist is going to be elected - by the citizenry - in the foreseeable future. The citizenry won't support a presidential candidate that doesn't stand up and advocate using the US's influence for something. Especially with all the panic about "terror" that Bush seeded.

Economic expansion should have no detrimental effect to a country. How does opening new US stores in country X hurt the US? What is bad about economic expansion?

McDonald's was a hasty example, but here's how. The US doesn't supply all the crap that McDonald's needs to run and operate. That crap gets outsourced to other countries, and the US starts interfering in those countries' governments. It's not a good example, I know.

The whole point of my post is that the influence should dwindle if the Americans manage to elect someone who isn't a dumbass. But then, I'm for decentralization on all counts, so everyone will probably disagree with me. S'okay.

 

[Raisin Bran]

Liechtenstein pwns you all!

 

[candle86]

the US, because if any of the rest told me what to do, id be labled a terrorist, because i wont serve any other nation other than America, so if say the EU takes the US over, id just have to keep assinating who ever was in charge, cause no way in hell would i let Europeans control this nation agian, we fought a war for 7 years to free us from Europe, and i ent gonna let us go back

 

[Brighteye]

And your substitution of insults for anything vaguely useful in a debate proves my point . Can you give any evidence (other than anything horribly biased and pertaining to the current administration) that the US has EVER had the naivete of a 7 year old.

And now you know how it feels.
Perhaps the idea that your government had that your soldiers would be welcomed with open arms? The concept that the war would be quick and easy? That you forgot that invasions might not increase your standing amongst the communities that breed terrorists?

The idea that freedom can only be saved by removing it?

Or the citizens: I'm on stronger ground here, because I deal with so many. Admittedly, I see the ones who come here, who are perhaps the less naive ones. That only makes it worse. Out of a sample of maybe 150 Americans I can safely say that they are significantly more gullible and trusting of their government than anyone else I've met, including Canadians, Australians, many British people. No-one rivals Americans' lack of understanding of other ways of doing things; not just the way of doing things, but that anything could be different, or that I'm not just being odd, but I'm from a different culture.

So what makes you assert that the EU is more naive than the US? Is it just that we don't do things your way?

 

[civverguy]

None of the above. Some parts of the world are too isolated to reach/keep order and there's so many different languages in the world so a lot of people won't know the laws, who's the leader, etc.

 

[kulade]

Eh... I'd rather not have overlords.

Having many different countries can make for many wars, but they keep each other in check for overdone power.

 

[Yeeek]

I would welcome a alien specie as our overlords with a warm embrace. Perhaps if we have a common enemy we wouldn't be killing each anymore. Untill we kick their arse and settle old score once again.. sigh.

 

[DaveShack]

The only possilbe answers are the US, or nobody. The US will never accept control by another.

 

[Kal'thzar]

Actually I think the USA will go the way the British did, if it ever becomes obvious that their control is slipping or degrading.

on the other hand, in the future, I do not see a single hyper-power, I see a largly multi-polar world....

This is bad.

 

[Guangxi]

China, for preference.
1. mostly atheist, and the remainder mainly buddhist or taoist; two religions i can tolerate. basically unlikely to mix religion and politics.
2. well, they might go socialist again. more chance than the US at any rate

3. they outnumber us anyway

 

[Nylan]

And now you know how it feels.
Perhaps the idea that your government had that your soldiers would be welcomed with open arms? The concept that the war would be quick and easy? That you forgot that invasions might not increase your standing amongst the communities that breed terrorists?

The idea that freedom can only be saved by removing it?

Or the citizens: I'm on stronger ground here, because I deal with so many. Admittedly, I see the ones who come here, who are perhaps the less naive ones. That only makes it worse. Out of a sample of maybe 150 Americans I can safely say that they are significantly more gullible and trusting of their government than anyone else I've met, including Canadians, Australians, many British people. No-one rivals Americans' lack of understanding of other ways of doing things; not just the way of doing things, but that anything could be different, or that I'm not just being odd, but I'm from a different culture.

So what makes you assert that the EU is more naive than the US? Is it just that we don't do things your way?

We are well aware of what war is and it's consequences. Might I remind you that Bush himself said the war would be a long, hard road.

Give some support that our general belief is that taking freedom away saves it.

However, following your logic, the only true freedom is anarchy. Are you an anarchist? Some restrictions must be imposed to preserve other freedoms. We take away the right to murder in order to protect the right to life. Read some Locke, Rosseu, and Montesquieu (sp?) if you want some more of that.

Since when does trusting your government make you naive? Have you considered that there might be reason for a more common trust in your government?

Perhaps the generally half-decent lives Americans live compared to the rest of society is some indication that in general the government is doing an okay job?

Relative ignorance might have something to do with living a hemisphere away from most of the more successful nations, there is less first-hand contact with cultures aside from Canada and Mexico. Things such as Chinatown and immigrants can help, but sometimes it can just reinforce the stereotype.

 

[Shylock]

Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!


Or Jesus, that would be awesome.

 

[Nylan]

That's odd, I just had a conversation today about Cthulu...

*searches the sky in fear of Cthulu's wrath*


EDIT: In fact, his name was in a game of hangman I played out of boredom yesterday

 

[scipian]

Americans. Whenever they conquer anyone, they make a point of rebuilding it and making it a future great power. As the joke goes: Two Israeli generals were discussing solutions to their budget crisis. One suggested war with America as America would pay all their loans and rebuild everything much better. The other immediately refused it because, "What if we won?" Whereas the British just mess up every place they take by putting two (or more) groups against each other. And the other Europeans just massacred everyone they could.

 

[Vietcong]

i welcome our new liechtenstein overlords!

 

[Tee Kay]

As far as treatment of vassal states goes, China is the most lenient. Historically, China do not interfere in the internal affairs of its vassals. They prefer to build relations through trade and tribute. During the early Ming dynasty when Emperor Yong Le still dreams of a Chinese maritiime empire, the policy was to bring small countries into the tribute system. In return for tribute and recognising Chinese suzereinty the vassals receive gifts and Chinese support and were pretty much left to its own.