Why is America a major factor in all wars since WWII?

[KlatooBNikto]

This was a question raised by Vietnamese respondents in a FAQ about the U.S. When thinking about it, I came up with the following explanation.Since WWII, American policymakers were striving for world domination because they saw an opportunity when most of the world was devastated and unable to put up any resistance.Certain states like Japan and Germany were favored while others, such as the Soviet Union which had built up formidable military machines,were demonized.Communism,was effectively used to create an external threat that Herman Goering so presciently warned about.This allowed the build up of an enormous war making machine in peace time.

Once the means to wage wars across the oceans and the skies became available, it was only a matter of time before the policymakers scrambled to create war scenarios at the slightest pretext.A country that did not have the means would naturally be seeking a way that avoided wars.But, in a way that proves my argument, pretexts such as the Gulf of Tonkin incident were created to justify a war that could use the available means.

The current War on Iraq follows the same pattern.Create an external threat where none exists;use the available means to wage war.

Creating external threats and waging wars have become part of our DNA.We would have a hard time adjusting to a peaceful world. We have become the threats our leaders warned us about.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. the money

death is our greatest export

[shance]

23. Yep. We must shift our largest trade export being weaponry

and defense related materials.

Military Industrial Complex.

[stavka]

2. Because we are a big important country?

Back track to the Great War, the one to end all, back when we didn't know to number them....

There have been a handfull of nations to play significant roles, the US among them....

United States of America
United Kingdom (and it's shrinking Empire)
France (and its really shrinking Empire)
Germany
China
Russia (and the the Soviet Union)
Japan (pre&post WWarII)

The US isn't really THE problem historically

[KlatooBNikto]

6. The only problem is that the world can be annihilated now.One

could also say that countries like China and India with vastly greater populations are equally important, if not more so.Could they, as they gain the means, also be encouraged to wage wars at the slightest pretext? Or to create pretexts to wage wars?

[leesa]

3. Because we are usually involved in starting them for profit?

[Osamasux]

7. No, there are enough little morons out there to start wars without us.

There seems to be no shortage of warmongers, with or without our own supply like Wolfowitz and McNamara.

[KlatooBNikto]

8. Those wars, without us, would be nothing but skirmishes in the bush.

When we enter any conflict it instantly becomes a larger conflict with more and more lethal weapons.

[Osamasux]

10. Rwanda sure as hell was not a skirmish.

Neither was Yugoslavia. Or what's going on in Zimbabwe. People have always been too good at killing each other.

[KlatooBNikto]

12. You may be right.The increasing lethality of weapons now available

throughout the world makes it an equal opportunity war market place. Our presence, though, brings an order of magnitude increase in the kill rate. The wonders of technology are amazing.

[Osamasux]

4. We've been the 800 pound gorilla since then.

By factor, you mean having influence whether actually involved or not? We have NOT been a player in every war (meaning either fighting ourselves or supplying one or both sides), but our presence must always be accounted for.

[tridim]

5. Because of the military industrial complex

It's a scam.

[American Tragedy]

9. I agree, but there was a degree of truth in the concern about the USSR

Although the danger was ridiculously exaggerated and propagandized by the military-industrial complex and ambitious politicians on both sides of the aisle, it existed. The Missile Crisis was very real. Fortunately, those thirteen days were the closest we ever came.

If American administrations often acted wrongly and abused its considerable strength, the Soviet Union certainly did as well. The Soviet empire took over their vast zones of occupation after the other powers were long gone, invading and exploiting Eastern Bloc nations with limited regard for their sovereignty or individual freedom. They were brutal and powerful, and it is impossible to study Khrushchev without concluding that he was a monster.

[Osamasux]

11. ...and Stalin before him was worse than Hitler.

[American Tragedy]

17. Of course, no doubt about that.

I only mention Khrushchev because people are more likely to have either overlooked him or gotten a more positive view of him. In fact, he was integrally involved in Stalin's reign of misery. This of course made his condemnation of Stalin, safely and opportunistically spoken after his demise, more than a little hypocritical.

[Taxloss]

14. No, "Able Archer" was the closest we ever came.

1983: NATO launches a huge military exercise, "Able Archer". The USSR doesn't think it's an exercise. Panic in the Kremlin. They thought First Strike was about to be launched. The finger was close to the trigger.

And we must not forget Stanislav Petrov, the man who saved the world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov

[American Tragedy]

18. You're probably right

Sorry, I've specialized in 1914-1973 history, so I tend to overlook more contemporary events, and it's rather unlikely that I would personally remember this one - I was four months old when Able Archer was launched.

I should have looked into this earlier, though - it's kind of reminiscent of Doctor Strangelove! Funny, after that movie came out I heard that both sides screamed that something like it could never happen.

[AG78]

19. Not a military exercise

http://topicguide.com/1995.html

http://www.nuclearfiles.org/hitimeline/1995.html

But on January 25th, 1995, something almost happened by accident.

[Art_from_Ark]

22. 1983-- during the Reagan misadministration

Regan, the numbskull who "quipped" that we were going to end the "Evil Empire" (USSR) by beginning bombing in 5 minutes.

[AG78]

13. Center of power

It's basically all human history is. One center of power building up, eventualy hitting another center of power that built up, with a war as a result. One wins, and then continues expanding their center of power, until they hit another.

The names change, but the reason never does.

[KlatooBNikto]

15. There is a great deal of truth to what you are saying.The only difference

is that because of the internet and other available means of communication, sentient beings are aware of the motives and the machinations of our rulers.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Squatch]

20. Your question belies your Amero-centric view

Since WWII, wars America has NOT been involved in scores of wars, large and small.

http://www.warscholar.com/Year/1950.html
http://www.warscholar.com/Year/1975.html

[KlatooBNikto]

21. This, as I have posted, is not my question.But that of many Vietnamese

who were responding to FAQ's posed by an American polling company. The entire questionnaire is available in the January issue of Harper's magazine.(Sorry, no link).

[bpilgrim]

24. some still don't call vietnam a 'war'

though it most certainly was...

and there have been many more wars("police actions") since...

noam chomsky does a good job explaining why we've been so 'involved' around the world here...

What Uncle Sam Really Wants

Noam Chomsky

Copyright © 1993
Table of Contents

The main goals of US foreign policy

1. Protecting our turf
2. The liberal extreme
3. The "Grand Area"
4. Restoring the traditional order
5. Our commitment to democracy
6. The threat of a good example
7. The three-sided world

Devastation abroad

1. Our Good Neighbor policy
2. The crucifixion of El Salvador
3. Teaching Nicaragua a lesson
4. Making Guatemala a killing field
5. The invasion of Panama
6. Inoculating Southeast Asia
7. The Gulf War
8. The Iran/contra cover-up
9. The prospects for Eastern Europe
10. The world's rent-a-thug

Brainwashing at home

1. How the Cold War worked
2. The war on (certain) drugs
3. War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery.
Ignorance is Strength.
4. Socialism, real and fake
5. The media

The Future

1. Things have changed
2. What you can do
3. The struggle continues
4. Notes

read online...
http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/sam/sam-contents.html

psst... pass the word

peace

[theresistance]

25. Yes, but...

Which single country in the world has been involved in as many invasions, bombings, attacks, and wars as America? If you add up the total number of wars, then there are a lot America may not have been involved in, but that's not really the point. America has been the greatest warmonger since WW2 no doubt. Here's one useful list of American wars: http://www.neravt.com/left/invade.htm