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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsInteresting fact about the United States of Amereca and War.
Yesterday, the local gardener told me that the US has been at war for 222 years out of its 239 year history. I always knew we had a wartime economy, but this figure shook me. It needs IMO more play. We divert entirely too much 'capital' to war efforts. This also IMO benefits the corporations over the individual. Beware the military industrial complex.
qazplm135
(7,465 posts)and the 1900s for that matter.
malaise
(277,091 posts)<snip>
During his regular Sunday school lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter revealed that he had recently spoken with President Donald Trump about China. Carter, 94, said Trump was worried about Chinas growing economy and expressed concern that China is getting ahead of us.
Carter, who normalized diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing in 1979, said he told Trump that much of Chinas success was due to its peaceful foreign policy.
Since 1979, do you know how many times China has been at war with anybody? Carter asked.
None, and we have stayed at war. While it is true that Chinas last major war an invasion of Vietnam occurred in 1979, its Peoples Liberation Army pounded border regions of Vietnam with artillery and its navy battled its Vietnamese counterpart in the 1980s. Since then, however, China has been at peace with its neighbors and the world.
Carter then said the US has been at peace for only 16 of its 242 years as a nation. Counting wars, military attacks and military occupations, there have actually only been five years of peace in US history 1976, the last year of the Gerald Ford administration and 1977-80, the entirety of Carters presidency. Carter then referred to the US as the most warlike nation in the history of the world, a result, he said, of the US forcing other countries to adopt our American principles.
Wounded Bear
(60,398 posts)Basically the Indian Wars included the entire 1800's. Between the big wars of the 20th Century, there were numerous incursions into Central America "defending" American corporate "rights" to basically enslave the local economies there. The Phillipines had several hot insurrections from when we took them from Spain in 1900 until WWII.
Basically, we've always had our forces out there shooting at someone for our entire history.
Mendocino
(7,691 posts)The United Fruit Company...ugh!
Wounded Bear
(60,398 posts)I haven't read a lot of Latin American authors and poets, but I've read some.
Our history there is not good.
brush
(56,955 posts)Wounded Bear
(60,398 posts)don't forget that little canard.
brush
(56,955 posts)Wounded Bear
(60,398 posts)for corporate officers taken in foreign, dangerous countries.
Just a feeling, you know? No hard evidence to back that, just a feeling.