US sending troops to Uganda

[Winner]

Isn't this what we've been doing? Nobody gives a "doodle" about Africa, except for maybe lip service and a few peacekeepers here or there. We just left it and it is rotting, and nobody's doing anything about that.

Fix my economy. Make more jobs. Make economic growth. I want a bigger TV. What's Africa?

I mean true quarantine. With forcefields and such.

 

[useless]

It's just very depressing and disheartening.

 

[innonimatu]

Isn't it possible to just quarantine Africa for a hundred years, and then return to see how the situation there sorted itself out?

No, but I wish it could be done, because it would most likely fare better than it has been doing! It might go through the equivalent of Europe's world wars, but it'd get many of its chronic political problems (instability and treacherous leaders above all) sorted out.

 

[Formaldehyde]

We should invade Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, etc. Any and all illegitimate governments that use violence to suppress their own populace should be invaded and overthrown. Certain areas in Africa should not only have their governments overthrown, but one of our governments instated there (using force) to ensure that peace and prosperity occurs, instead of raging genocidal warlords.

At least that approach would be consistent and not so hypocritical, especially if we included the Christian nations as well.

Africa has been embroiled in a Christian vs Muslim war for decades now. The major battles are occurring in the countries which are mixed, such as Uganda, Sudan, and Nigeria. The LRA is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Defiant47]

At least that approach would be consistent and not so hypocritical if you included the Christian nations as well.

Africa has been embroiled in a Christian vs Muslim war for decades now. The major battles are occurring in the countries which are mixed, such as Uganda, Sudan, and Nigeria. The LRA is just the tip of the iceberg.

Wow!! I did not know that. Thanks for the knowledge!

I guess that explains some of the belligerence between nations... but I'm also worried about the instability caused by rampaging warlords within the same region, on their own people for the purposes of gaining power with no regard to human life. Hence, my militaristic interventionism attitude (which would apply regardless of religious affiliation, of course).

 

[Flying Pig]

Very good map. While sometimes blaming it all on religion is a little simplistic, it's true that almost all of the conflicts in Africa for as long as anyone can remember have been about things such as tribal or ethnic loyalties and religion which have been motives to kill your fellow man since the beginning of time.

 

[Whiskey_Lord]

Limbaugh's comments are beyond disgusting. I can't even find the logic behind defending the LRA. You can't even use the excuse of 'making Obama look bad' because that is easy enough to do already. I never imagined anyone would or could stoop to defending child-murderers in order to smear a political opponent, but Limbaugh has just proved me wrong. This is almost surreal.

 

[RedRalph]

And the fact that Limbaugh won't pay any price for those remarks is even worse.

 

[amadeus]

Limbaugh makes some stupid comments about the LRA and he's a monster. Obama bombs Libya, helps to supply guns to Mexican drug gangs, executes American citizens without trial, has federal anti-drug thugs violate the rights of the state of California, withholds information to the public about the killing of bin Laden, etc., etc. and Limbaugh needs to be punished and it's surreal when Limbaugh makes an offensive comment.

 

[Whiskey_Lord]

So then, it's okay for Limbaugh to be a scumbag because Obama is too?

 

[Defiant47]

Limbaugh makes some stupid comments about the LRA and he's a monster. Obama bombs Libya, helps to supply guns to Mexican drug gangs, executes American citizens without trial, has federal anti-drug thugs violate the rights of the state of California, withholds information to the public about the killing of bin Laden, etc., etc. and Limbaugh needs to be punished and it's surreal when Limbaugh makes an offensive comment.

Funny.

But this is a matter of deceit. Limbaugh's comments are misleading and deceitful at best, as are many of the things you mentioned.

We need to inject more reality into the media.

 

[Patroklos]

No, but I wish it could be done, because it would most likely fare better than it has been doing! It might go through the equivalent of Europe's world wars, but it'd get many of its chronic political problems (instability and treacherous leaders above all) sorted out.

The population would be a few dozen percentage points smaller, and they will burn down/ eat all living treasures of note, I don't think that's worth it.

 

[MobBoss]

Now, if we can just get the rest of the continent to that blue color we can get an extra 3 armies a turn in our bid to conquer the world!!!!

 

[Ajidica]

Lord’s Resistance Army are Christians.

Well, time for the TSA to break out the anal probe if a person wears a crucifix. They might be part of the LRA.

 

[Lord of Elves]

Limbaugh makes some stupid comments about the LRA and he's a monster. Obama bombs Libya, helps to supply guns to Mexican drug gangs, executes American citizens without trial, has federal anti-drug thugs violate the rights of the state of California, withholds information to the public about the killing of bin Laden, etc., etc. and Limbaugh needs to be punished and it's surreal when Limbaugh makes an offensive comment.

Cute.

Meanwhile, in the real world where the United States is not a fascist dictatorship...

 

[amadeus]

Meanwhile, in the real world where the United States is not a fascist dictatorship...

Thankfully, FDR died before that dream was fully realized.

 

[carmen510]

Thankfully, FDR died before that dream was fully realized.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztVMib1T4T4

On a more serious note, how do you think this operation will play out? Will the advisers accomplish their mission, considering their limited objectives?

 

[Lord of Elves]

Thankfully, FDR died before that dream was fully realized.

This is adorable. But in all seriousness, the complete success of reactionary demagogues in propagating this particular kind of vile nonsense is alarming. There are people going to the polls with this view of history.

 

[amadeus]

This is adorable. But in all seriousness, the complete success of reactionary demagogues in propagating this particular kind of vile nonsense is alarming. There are people going to the polls with this view of history.

What was FDR if not a corporatist that modeled much of the New Deal after programs in fascist Italy? You can always rewrite history, but you can't rewrite the truth.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Well, the "truth" doesn't appear to be all that clear cut. For instance, Reagan back in 1976 thought the New Deal was just great before he decided it wasn't, while many communists and socialists labeled it as being fascism.

The New Deal and corporatism

"Fascism" in the 21st century has very strong connotations of mass murder and death camps, making it a highly loaded term. However, in the 1930s for some it meant the planned economy and corporativism exemplified by the economic plans of Benito Mussolini in Italy. Some communists as well as pro-capitalist journalists, essayists, and politicians, including Herbert Hoover, used the term "fascism" that way. At the time of the New Deal, criticism came from both the left and right. Some "socialists and communists suggested the New Deal's industrial recovery program was really the basis for establishing a fascist state" that failed to protect against the "evils of capitalism."[9]

However, other historians who have analyzed the origins of the Agricultural Adjustment Act in depth have discovered no inspiration from Europe. For example; Theodore Saloutos in his 1982 book[24] "The American Farmer and the New Deal."

Other scholars believe linking the New Deal to Fascism to be overly simplistic. Historian Stanley Payne, in his 1995 book, "A History of Fascism, 1914-1945" [4] wrote:

"What Fascist corporatism and the New Deal had in common was a certain amount of state intervention in the economy. Beyond that, the only figure who seemed to look on Fascist corporatism as a kind of model was Hugh Johnson, head of the National Recovery Administration."

Johnson strenuously denied any association with Mussolini, saying the NRA "is being organized almost as you would organize a business. I want to avoid any Mussolini appearance -- the President calls this Act industrial self-government."[5] Donald Richberg eventually replaced General Hugh Johnson as head of NRA and speaking before a Senate committee said "A nationally planned economy is the only salvation of our present situation and the only hope for the future."[25][26]

The Great Depression was a very extraordinary circumstance which called for very extraordinary measures just so many Americans didn't starve to death. For instance, Al Capone ran a soup kitchen, as did many others who could afford to do so.

Were they ushering in "communism" or "fascism"? Or were they merely providing charity and a means for people to survive?