Diplomatic WikiLeaks

snow hope · Post by **snow hope** » 05 Dec 2010, 00:17

American Policy is full of these 180 degree turns.

They helped the Germans and then eventually joined the British in WWII to fight them.

They helped various South American countries and then turned against them in the 60s and 70s and later.

They armed Sadam Hussein in the eighties against the Iranians, then they fought him, captured him and hung him.

They armed the Afghans against the Russians and they have been fighting them for the last 8 years.

I wonder what the Americans think when they look back over the last 70 odd years at there constant u-turns.

Do you think they ever get embaressed about the what they have done? Glad I am not an American..... be hard to feel proud of the above!

And of course there have been all sorts of clandestine activities by various Govt. organisations against their own people, one that springs to mind is MK Ultra....

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 05 Dec 2010, 00:42

Arming both sides in a conflict is something the Americans have often managed to pull off - look at the Israel/Arab states situation. Turkey is a member of NATO, the 'rogue' states in that region are all supplied with weapons by Russia and China. It makes you wonder if the definition of a rogue state is 'they don't buy their weapons from us'.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 05 Dec 2010, 12:20

contadino · Post by **contadino** » 05 Dec 2010, 12:28

TroubledTimes wrote:
snow hope wrote:American Policy is full of these 180 degree turns.

hehe yeah usually when they get caught

However, despite the fault of the Americans, they got a long way to go to catch up to the British when it comes to imperialism. We raped and robbed just about every country on the planet at some point or another.

+1, although it's more of an English obsession (what with the Irish, the Scottish, and the Welsh being near the top of that list of raped and robbed.)

Lord Beria3 · Post by **Lord Beria3** » 05 Dec 2010, 15:01

The Scottish were heavily involved in running the Empire, so don't get all Celtic on me.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 05 Dec 2010, 21:28

TroubledTimes wrote: We raped and robbed just about every country on the planet at some point or another.

So we did. Then we grew up (at least a bit).

eatyourveg · Post by **eatyourveg** » 05 Dec 2010, 21:42

RenewableCandy wrote:
TroubledTimes wrote: We raped and robbed just about every country on the planet at some point or another.
So we did. Then we grew up (at least a bit).

The Portugese, Spanish, Dutch, French, Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians etc etc etc etc also had their little empires. It's what we do.

Now if as a species we were bright enough to bring population under control and divert our aggressive energies in other directions, well, who can tell. As it is forget the colonial guilt crap.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 06 Dec 2010, 08:37

As it is forget the colonial guilt crap.

+10E56

nexus · Post by **nexus** » 06 Dec 2010, 09:21

Vortex wrote:
As it is forget the colonial guilt crap.
+10E56

What's your point Vortex?

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 06 Dec 2010, 09:59

Huh?

I'm just not prepared to be blamed for what some colonial chappie did back in 1875.

I wasn't there, it wasn't me.

There seems to be a whole industry based on 'historic blame'.

"Your grandad did something nasty to my grandad's country. Pay me some money to say sorry."

nexus · Post by **nexus** » 06 Dec 2010, 10:17

+10E56

Vortex- what does this bit mean?

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 06 Dec 2010, 10:23

Sorry, waxed all mathematical for a moment there.

It means: "I agree with the last post a lot."

contadino · Post by **contadino** » 06 Dec 2010, 11:40

Vortex wrote:Huh?

I'm just not prepared to be blamed for what some colonial chappie did back in 1875.

I wasn't there, it wasn't me.

There seems to be a whole industry based on 'historic blame'.

"Your grandad did something nasty to my grandad's country. Pay me some money to say sorry."

It's not about guilt. It's about recognising what's wrong and not repeating it. What you're talking about is reparations, which is a very different beast.

The occupation of Iraq (as a modern example) isn't something that I'd like to see repeated, so I'm comfortable condemning it. The same could be said of the slave trade, black flag operations, nuclear proliferation, etc...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 06 Dec 2010, 12:46

2 As and a B · Post by **2 As and a B** » 06 Dec 2010, 13:19

These arguments usually descend into blaming the Normans, Angles, Saxons, Vikings and Romans for the rape and pillage that they unleashed on these isles. That is, they descend into farce.

We’re here because we’re here because
we’re here because we’re here!
We’re here because we’re here because
we’re here because we’re here!

(Everybody!)

We’re here because we’re here because
we’re here because we’re here!
We’re here because we’re here because
we’re here because we’re here!

Ah, you can't beat a good old sing-song for raising the spirits.

Unless it is a prayer...

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

And that goes for both sides of the argument!