| Many futurists, academics, world leaders, and of | | | | equipment to arm the world and create conflicts that |
| course, the peace activist crowd say that humankind | | | | keep the nations of the world divided and engaged in |
| is going mad. "Why all these weapon sales," they | | | | struggle." |
| ask? Didn't someone once warn us "you cannot | | | | Well, as anyone reading this may have guessed, I am |
| simultaneously prepare for and prevent war," yes, | | | | very pro-American and so, I won't go there, but I |
| and it was Einstein, but a nation has the right and the | | | | can say that humans create conflict, and don't need |
| responsibility to protect itself and its citizenry; and | | | | the help of the US either way. Humans have been |
| Karl von Clausewitz the famous military philosopher | | | | killing their own species over resources, food supply, |
| would explain to all these folks why. Now then, let's | | | | women, religion (ideals), color of skin, territory, trade, |
| talk: | | | | economics, and sport for all of human history. They |
| It is quite evident that Iran is also playing chess with | | | | need not make the excuse that the US causes the |
| IAEA, UN, and the US and by us engaging this game, | | | | wars, although Hugo Chavez, Radical Islam, and war |
| we are making them appear stronger and more | | | | protesters the world over amplified by the media for |
| important than they actually are. Meanwhile as they | | | | sound and fury sound bites proclaim. I don't buy it. |
| are buying time, there is massive build up in the | | | | Giraldo, on the other hand reminds us that; "In fact |
| Middle East allowing for weapons sales, serving our | | | | from a purely realist geopolitical stand point the worst |
| Industrial Military Complex, and Russia, and other | | | | thing we as a nation could do is to stop arming other |
| sellers of weapons in the EU as well. It's good | | | | nations. America is a master of war, we have |
| business, but also akin to 120 tons of underbrush | | | | perfected its techniques and are unmatched in its |
| un-cleared in a California Mountain forest the day | | | | arts. Consider, what are our key strengths? Why |
| before a thunderstorm or an arsonist with a | | | | does America continue to be the last remaining |
| blow-torch. | | | | superpower?" |
| Not long ago, I was discussing this with a researcher | | | | Yet, the reality is that in essence, the US does run |
| in Post-Cold War US-Russian Relations, Jesse Giraldo, | | | | the world economically. GDP of 14-17 Trillion, next |
| and we were comparing the standoff today with | | | | nearest nation isn't even 5 trillion. At one point before |
| Iran from previous such challenges in past history. To | | | | the global economic crisis our GDP was equal to the |
| my comments above he stated; [Haha], you paint an | | | | other 9 of the top 10 GDPs of the whole world. Even |
| accurate picture. It's no secret that America has a | | | | the EU all together barely equaled the US and that |
| sorted history of supplying arms to questionable | | | | was with them cheating in their figures, often with |
| powers but this tactic isn't as asinine as it sounds. | | | | trickery accounting. |
| The United States of America possesses the most | | | | The argument that the US causes wars through its |
| advanced standing army in the world. Our technology | | | | weapon sales or purposely creates conflict |
| and military supremacy ensures a strategic advantage | | | | throughout the world to keep itself in power, may |
| that cannot be overcome by conventional tactics. | | | | not be the fairest assessment, but our enemies |
| True enough indeed, thus he added "...[and], what this | | | | would surely have you believe that, so many people |
| means for the U.S is that it is in our best interest as | | | | do in fact. Please consider all this. |
| a superpower and a top supplier of military | | | | |