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• 464 October 28, 2004 9:21 pm

  

  Ben, you would say we lost the War with Vietnam–but today they have an economy based on the U.S. Dollar in spite of the horrible legacy the U.S. imposed on that country because of an historically-proven-false Domino Theory based on the incoherent fear of an unreal political condition–deeper understanding that Vietnam was simply trying to evolve to independence as a sovereign nation could have avoided 100,000 plus unfortunate American deaths and millions of Vietnamese deaths.
  Maybe that doesn’t matter to you, Ben,–but it should.

• 464 October 28, 2004 7:06 pm

  

  Ben, you want me to write the novel, right? And you can’t even give us your plan for N. Korean nuclear containment by the U.S.
  But I think there are other ways than war to deal with cultural growth and interfacing–for instance, economic interest is an important motivation that can stress groups of people to accept and modify social mores–it may take a little longer and be less dramatic–but can create a viable solution without including legalized murder and defiling a segment of the human race.
  America would have eventually evolved economically out from English rule (Did Canada, Australia, and, hell, the rest of the Commonwealth have to rebel against England?) it was an American choice to fight a particularly, bloody war of revolution.(And only 1/3 of the colonial population were for revolution)
  Our civil war was a big blunder that almost didn’t happen–was about economic and social issues that coulda-shoulda been legislated–the scars of that war are still with us 150-some years later–it’s still not pretty (visit old civil war battlefields at night-you’ll become more religious)
  Germany became a monster after WWI and the great reparations that forced them into a crippling inflation and economic collapse–compassion to and rebuilding of Germany after WWI could have prevented Hitler–the League of Nations was an idea and option that didn’t have to die.
  It’s just that mankind chooses war–it appears to be a quick fix–and it satisfies passion–it appeals to you, Ben–because you look at the version of history written by the winners of wars and it seems to make sense to you.
  But post-9/11, if mankind can’t find a viable alternative to war to solve its cultural and economic problems, don’t expect mankind to hang around this planet much longer–The Sons of Adam’s survival on this planet is not a given.

• ben October 28, 2004 1:52 pm

  

  Please oh wise gordon tell me what the world would be like right now had we not went to war with germany, the english, and our civil war.