US prepared to go it alone - allies warned.

[red_jon]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/bush/story/0,7369,644563,00.html

Basically the gist of it seems to be that the US is demanding that either other NATO members increase their military spending or theres trouble of some kind.

Richard Perle, a senior Republican foreign policy adviser, told the conference in Munich: "Never has the United States been more unified, never has it been more purposeful, never has it been more willing, if necessary, to act alone.

United we stand? Does this phrase apply to all the allies or just the US?

"If we have to choose between protecting ourselves against terrorism and a long list of friends and allies, we will protect ourselves against terrorism."

Slipery slope?

Mr Wolfowitz, one of the leading hawks in the Bush administration, made it clear the US would act whether or not all its allies agreed. The war against terrorism would need "flexible coalitions", he said.

I never like the word 'coalition' - it suggest a lack of democratic process...

European politicians expressed deep concern about the US warnings.

I'm not surprised! Is the US justified with this?

[David Floyd]

Justified in running around bombing people? No, I think not.

Justified in doing whatever we want regardless of what other's think? Sure, we don't need anyone's permission by any means.

[red_jon]

Originally posted by David Floyd
Justified in running around bombing people? No, I think not.

Justified in doing whatever we want regardless of what other's think? Sure, we don't need anyone's permission by any means.

That's the point - the US is pushing other countries into doing things - do we need US permission?

[David Floyd]

Certainly not. National sovereignty, of course.

[Djugashvili]

Hopefully international pressure will cause the US to cease its phony 'war'.

[H Tower]

and this is new?? seriously, the US has had a "go it alone" policy since sept 11. if we can bully other nations to help us out, goody, if they decide to help out on their own, even better. if they don't help us, oh well, we can do it ourselves.

bush is a frigging moron

[Kyle]

Originally posted by red_jon


That's the point - the US is pushing other countries into doing things - do we need US permission?

Of course not. But there are consequences for everything.


But at this point in time, those (negative) consequences could be greater for Europe than the US.


Fighting terrorism has become the US' strategic mission. When the world finally realizes this is a long term thing and not just a straight reaction to 9-11, these types of topics will lessen.

[red_jon]

Originally posted by Kyle
Fighting terrorism has become the US' strategic mission. When the world finally realizes this is a long term thing and not just a straight reaction to 9-11, these types of topics will lessen.

Oh goody, the new Cold War...

[Kyle]

Originally posted by red_jon


Oh goody, the new Cold War...

Sorry, how can anyone see an attempt to eliminate terrorism as a bad thing?

[Grrr]

Originally posted by Kyle

Originally posted by red_jon
Oh goody, the new Cold War...

Sorry, how can anyone see an attempt to eliminate terrorism as a bad thing?

Disposing of Terrorists is OK.
Disposing of "Terrorists" is not!

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Kyle




Sorry, how can anyone see an attempt to eliminate terrorism as a bad thing?

Terrorism will NEVER be stoped through war.

Edit: Infact, it will probably just breed more - and wars always involve some form of terrorism themselves, anyways.

[red_jon]

Originally posted by Kyle
Sorry, how can anyone see an attempt to eliminate terrorism as a bad thing?

It is not eliminating terrorism. No-one can ever seriously expect to do so without creating a 1984-esque world. The US government is using it as an excuse to increase military spending, limit civil rights and push the right-wing agenda.

What's wrong is that the US is trying to make Europe do the same.

[Grrr]

It is all wrong to kill innocent "terrorists". And for the sake of that, GWB is actually making an arogant pig of himself. I mean, seriously, increasing the military spending and capitolisation of the US, and by being a globalist pig, GWB is going to get it one of these days! Once he has wiped out the Irani, Iraqi, Afgan and whatnot "terrorists" then the anti-globalist terrorists will be in major provocation against the US, and lead their own terrorist attacks.

Down with George Bush!

[Kyle]

Originally posted by red_jon



The US government is using it as an excuse to increase military spending, limit civil rights and push the right-wing agenda.

US military spending has been increasing for years, I disagree about the civil rights remark, and some people see pushing a right-wing agenda as a good thing. Especially since it's a Republican administration.

What's wrong is that the US is trying to make Europe do the same.

Again, this isn't something new. I just saw that European members of NATO are pushing the US to share technology. If they were spending more money on defense/research, they wouldn't need to. And Europe does the same thing, trying to push it's left wing agenda on us. Right or wrong, it's going to happen.

[Andrew1999]

Can anybody over at the White House besides Powell even read a map? Afghanistan is completely landlocked. Iraq is almost landlocked. We need friends and allies just to get to them, much less do anything about it. Or do we just invade everybody between us and the target? And I'm sure South Korea really appreciates that we're willing to devastate their country to put an end to the Evil Ones to their north. I wonder if we even thought about consulting with them before we put their peace process in a Cuisinart.