I don't know

[Joakim]

Hello

I am curious about the way americans see themselves. I live in sweden and right now there are a lot of things happening at the same time in the world that is making me very confused.

I Just saw a documentary made by an american man in europe that was called "does europe hate us?"
That makes me a little worried about the relation between europe and america. It seems like whenever someone critic american politics americans often take that as an insult toward themselves as a person and not the political system itself, I just want you to know that I respect every human being on this earth and their own way to live out their life as long as it does not harm or reflect badly on other human beings.

Maybe I have been watching too many documentarys, but it seems like america was a great country where dreams did come true before the seccond world war atleast.
I dont think you have been able to get rid of the war in your minds after that because you have never been struk by war in your own country.
And your politics have continued that way ever since, so my question to you is:
What is so great about america right now that makes you go to war every other year?

p.s sorry about the spelling, my big brother helped me a little but he is no genius either

 

[Kandahar]

There are several reasons that America tends to go to war more often than Europe in recent decades. The most obvious reason is sheer power. America is united, while Europe is fragmented, so naturally our population and GDP are higher than any single European country and we can devote more money to military. If it were the other way around, I think it's quite likely that Europe would go to war about as often.

Secondly, most European nations have come to rely on America for protection and America has been more than happy to oblige them. While this arrangement may have been OK during the Cold War, it's outdated now. It'd be better for both America and Europe if European countries paid more for their own defense.

Thirdly, and this is just speculation, it might be because America has less to fear in the way of retaliation. While Europe is geographically close to the "hot spots" of the world, America is thousands of miles away from its nearest enemy. In other words, we can bomb or invade nearly anyone we want without fear of retaliation. Europe does not have this luxury.

 

[Joakim]

Thank you very much for the answer Kandahar.

If you are right it seems that politics is all about making war and changing one country’s form of government into another that will work better with the invading country’s particular politics.
And that every country in the world would do this if they only had the power and thought they could get away with it.
I don’t really mind this as much as it may sound right now, because I can at the same time see the purpose and benefit with a global government, but I think that war is an obsolete form of politics and a simple and unintelligent way of solving problems.

Its pretty obvious to me that some people must die in order for the rest can thrive and continue to consume as much as we want.
America once feared this would happen to them, through the Nazi.
Let me explain using Tibet for example, the home of Lama Buddhism. A very pacifistic country, but it was not always so. They have a history with a lot of war and aggression but at one point in history all of that changed, almost over night it seems, most likely due to a period of intense violence and slaughter.
I think Europe have experienced that on a small scale, we call it World War 2.
It may not be enough, time will tell.
While on the subject on world war; firstly I have to admit that it looked like Germany was taking over until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and dragged America into this world war back in 1942 I think it was. If America would not have confronted Germany at that time together with the rest of the alliance America would eventually have been invaded by Germany as well. The war was about the world.

“It'd be better for both America and Europe if European countries paid more for their own defense.”

I don’t really agree with that, I am confident that America has the power to invade these countries on its own.
Something just popped into my mind; every army in the world must be pacifistic. Why would they otherwise call it defense?
We fight for peace right?

With that in mind it may or may not sometimes be legit to invade certain areas of the world where unhealthy forms of politics makes the people that live there suffer needlessly.

“Thirdly”
Because of America’s convenient position it is really hard to assault the actual mainland, at least it has been in the passed. It’s possible that some of the middle-east regimes will have the opportunity to infiltrate American airspace with the intent to bomb strategic military positions. If they would actually go through with it or not depends on America I think.
But it seems to me that if America does not stop them in time they will, and it seems to me that if America tries to stop them in time large parts of that region will merge and go ahead and do it anyway.

The world is in a violent form right now, but there is a way out.
A third world war, the big one to end all big ones.
So I say; Lets roll

P.S
I apologize for my ignorance, it is intentionall