ANALYSIS: An Even-Handed Look at American, European Relations

[Ted Striker]

Regarding the landmines, the main issue is the DMZ in Korea. There are no civilians there at all, and the mines are especially helpful for defending the area. But thanks for doing your due diligence. And the drama helped too.


And so, when is Europe going to use its miraculous diplomacy powers to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Well, I'm waiting...

[DinoDoc]

Regarding land mines: Why should we do something that isn't in our self-interest?

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
Regarding the landmines, the main issue is the DMZ in Korea. There are no civilians there at all, and the mines are especially helpful for defending the area. But thanks for doing your due diligence. And the drama helped too.

Aren't the mines already there? Just leave them and stop producing more.

And so, when is Europe going to use its miraculous diplomacy powers to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Well, I'm waiting...

Diplomacy power requires, at its root, to be backed by military and economic power. As things are right now, only the US has them. And BTW, most UN resolutions to try something for the peace came from Europe, and were blocked by US veto. It is in fact America that is hindering the 'European diplomatic force', as you call it.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Regarding land mines: Why should we do something that isn't in our self-interest?

Because you are supposedly the greatest democracy in the world? Because we all want peace, as citizens of the world?

[Berzerker]

OB -

Berzerker: that's it, America is not paying more in blood than the others are.

Korea? Was there any UN sanctioned war/action that the US did not lead and suffer the most casualties? Maybe Somalia since I believe the Pakistanis may have taken more casualties...

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris


Because you are supposedly the greatest democracy in the world? Because we all want peace, as citizens of the world?

That's not a reason.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Berzerker
OB -

Korea? Was there any UN sanctioned war/action that the US did not lead and suffer the most casualties? Maybe Somalia since I believe the Pakistanis may have taken more casualties...

No, you had allies participate in the Korea war.

[Berzerker]

OB -

Because you are supposedly the greatest democracy in the world? Because we all want peace, as citizens of the world?

I'd suggest those landmines help ensure N Korea doesn't invade S Korea.

Imran -

We are talking about STATES! Individuals have no role in this debate whatsoever. It was about American dues and if they are too high! Jesus H. Christ!

States are made up by individuals.

The United Nations doesn't care about the people when it assesses dues, what it cares about is the GDP of the state as a whole. GDP/capita doesn't factor at all.

I don't care how the UN decides how much the US owes it, that has nothing to do whether or not I volunteered to support it.

No one forces the United States of America to be a member of the United Nations.

A supermajority in the Senate and the President forces the rest of us to be a member.

The debate was whether dues of the United Nations for the United States of America was too high.

No, the debate was whether or not we volunteered to support the UN. Some of us did, some of us didn't. Those that did are forcing the rest of us to "participate". Do you believe taxes are voluntary? You must if you think what the Congress decides for us wrt the UN makes us volunteers.

A minority of individuals disagreeing with the paying of those dues have no bearing on this issue.

It does if you want to describe us as volunteers.

Only you would take a discussion about whether the US's UN dues were too high and add individuals into it.

We weren't debating that Imran, you took issue with my comparison of UN dues to taxation.

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Berzerker
OB -

Korea? Was there any UN sanctioned war/action that the US did not lead and suffer the most casualties? Maybe Somalia since I believe the Pakistanis may have taken more casualties...

South Korea suffered just slightly more casualties...

[Berzerker]

OB -

No, you had allies participate in the Korea war.

So? That was a UN sanctioned war and American casualties outnumbered any other UN member (except perhaps for S Korea). I don't know if Vietnam was also a UN sanctioned war but if it was we can add another ~58,000 to Korea.

[Berzerker]

South Korea suffered just slightly more casualties...

I'm not sure if S Korea was a member at that time, but I acknowledged that in my last post.

[Imran Siddiqui]

the debate was whether or not we volunteered to support the UN.

Um.. no it wasn't. The debate, even before you got in this thread, was whether the US pays too much in UN dues. It had nothing to do with individual people volunteering to pay it.

We weren't debating that

Of course we were...

[Berzerker]

No Imran, you took issue with my comment about the involuntary nature of taxes and membership in the UN.

So you can decide that you aren't a part of the US government and thus refuse to pay taxes? What a silly comparision!!

It's about as voluntary as taxes

See? Read your sig since you forgot already.

[Imran Siddiqui]

you took issue with my comment about the involuntary nature of taxes and membership in the UN.

Which was a total misunderstanding of the debate entirely, which is what I took issue with. Taxes and membership dues are entirely non similar. You can leave with membership dues, but not with taxes, which is the analogy is wrong.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Boshko

South Korea suffered just slightly more casualties...

Does that figure include military and civilian, or just military? I would be surprised if SK had fewer military casualties, but I am curious.