General Discussion

Starry Messenger

(32,342 posts)

23. What am I getting from empire?

Fri Feb 8, 2013, 05:47 PM

Feb 2013

I live in an apartment, my car is 10 years old, gas is already up to $4 here, food bills are nuts, no health care for 12 years/dentistry for 20 and I have to decide every morning whether I can face another month of high electric bills from putting on the floor heater on cold mornings. I'm still lucky I have a job and am not homeless and I'm grateful every day.

I'd like to give up my Latino students being worried about their families being sent to ICE. I'd like our "free trade" agreements reformed so that they don't ruin the countries south of my state. That would be cool.

I'd like industries to come back to the US, unions to burgeon again, the rich and/or corporations to not hide their money in off-shore tax-havens.

I'd like our military to be used to defend actual democracy in countries that are being bullied, instead of being the bully.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

35 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

A question regarding empire? [View all] Skidmore Feb 2013 OP

Interesting question el_bryanto Feb 2013 #1

As long as Empire meant "Cheap Raw Materials"..... Junkdrawer Feb 2013 #2

It still begs the question of what part of "cheap" Skidmore Feb 2013 #4

Most citizens of industrial economies do MUCH better than US citizens do.... Junkdrawer Feb 2013 #9

I'm willing to give up many of our military bases that are quinnox Feb 2013 #3

Why does America need to control the world? Skidmore Feb 2013 #5

At this point. WHEN (not IF) we withdraw our empire, our currency will plummet.... Junkdrawer Feb 2013 #10

I'll give up the same things the Canadians and Swiss gave up. Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2013 #6

What did the Canadians and Swiss give up? Skidmore Feb 2013 #13

Gosh, they must have gotten along without ever having an empire. Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2013 #14

You made a statement that you would give up whatever these peoples gave up. Skidmore Feb 2013 #15

They gave up being the badasses of the universe. I'm willing to do the same. Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2013 #16

They both had larger "friends" to protect them Recursion Feb 2013 #17

Which demonstrates they're a helluva lot smarter than we are. Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2013 #18

99% of empire is just signalling willingness and capability to defend Recursion Feb 2013 #19

How about we switch roles and fall under somebody else's sphere of influence? Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2013 #20

How has the U.S. protected Canada? polly7 Feb 2013 #24

Err... the entire past 60 years? Recursion Feb 2013 #25

LOL polly7 Feb 2013 #26

The entire cold war Recursion Feb 2013 #30

Bullshit. Social democracies function because they've got gov'ts that are more concerned with their polly7 Feb 2013 #31

Pretty sure it is a given Lurker Deluxe Feb 2013 #27

Probably, smacked by us. And I'm assuming, it would be our polly7 Feb 2013 #28

I get it ... Lurker Deluxe Feb 2013 #32

Empire means the MIC's tentacles stretch from continent to continent, even where we're not welcome. JaneyVee Feb 2013 #7

So how do you meet the needs of people at home Skidmore Feb 2013 #11

It means living up to our ideals instead of down to our wants and fears. nt bemildred Feb 2013 #8

That is unsatisfyingly vague. Skidmore Feb 2013 #12

Your question seems kind of vague too? bemildred Feb 2013 #22

American empire Lurker Deluxe Feb 2013 #21

What am I getting from empire? Starry Messenger Feb 2013 #23

What did Russia give up? The Brits? France? The Dutch? leveymg Feb 2013 #29

Note the presumption that Empire = Economic advantages for the masses..... Junkdrawer Feb 2013 #33

Empires in decline, however, do mean the poor suffer first and disportionately - leveymg Feb 2013 #35

Empire LWolf Feb 2013 #34