Why do Americans think they are powerful in 2017?

[Theinquisition]

Nobody knew agent orange was a carcinogen at the time. There is still some debate over whether it's a carcinogen or not.

We've since settled with the Vietnamese and they're now our allies. We have 400k Vietnamese immigrants in the US and that helps relations a lot.

Drone strikes are beneficial and have much less impact on civilians than a 500lb bomb dropped from an F16.

What did the US do you to advanta? Can you show us on the doll?

I literally just wrote a paper on the ongoing debate within the medical community on whether or not Agent Orange is indeed a carcinogen and has had long term effects on soldiers. In fact.....here's a quote from my research paper

The Center for Disease Control conducted a study of the long term effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam Veterans and found the following “Results are again equivocal. Parties on both sides of the continuing debate about the regulation of dioxin exposure will no doubt cite this work in support of their positions. Some cancers were indeed more frequent in an exposed group than among controls, but the differences were for the most part not statistically significant, and the exceptions might be explainable by a combination of small, unavoidable biases in the data and the multiple post hoc comparisons. (Examine enough data at the usual 5 percent level of significance, and about 1 time in 20 you will find a statistically significant result where there is no real effect.) But a simple view that the results are inconclusive does not capture the whole impact of this study. ...The hypothesis that low exposures are entirely safe for humans is distinctly less tenable now than before. ... In short, it is conceivable, although by no means certain that we shall in time converge on a middle position in which dioxin is accepted as a human carcinogen, but one that does not have the extreme potency observed in rodents." (Michael M. Simpson & Samuel Merril, 1991). At the time that this study was conducted, it was agreed that Agent Orange had long term negative health effects, but the severity of which was still under debate.

Not to say that Agent Orange isn't a caustic, toxic substance, but it wasn't used on people, wasn't targeting people, and the long term negative effects weren't known at the time. Additionally, it was used in concordance with applicable international law.

[Daddotron]

China`a economy is based entirely on the US dollar and is not self sustaining.... BTW the strongest weapon in world is the US dollar..... Racism is not real... What politics are you talking about? The ones on da news? You bad, I mean really bad......

Have ever even been to America because you sound like an ignorant troll.....

We are the most powerful get over it or not.........

[Kellhound]

There was never a time in human history when an atrocity of that magnitude committed against infants was not taboo, even in cultures which tolerated familial infanticide.

Your lack of historical knowledge is, well, just sad.

[Theinquisition]

I wonder if Advanta would be willing to denounce the Soviets use of Chemical Weapons in Afghanistan?

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingr...0005585188.pdf

start on page 18, it's a good read.

[Kellhound]

No its you that misread. It even has fill in the blank up top for you

Being killed by a gun here: (Mexico)

Is about as likely as dying of ________ in the US. (Pancreatic Cancer)

Pancreatic Cancer is just as dangerous as guns in Mexico. Hide yo kids hide yo wife.

You are 4X more likely to die of pancreatic cancer (~120 deaths per million) in the US as you are to die of a gun related homicide (31.2 per million). Thus, you are 4X as likely to die from a gun related homicide in Mexico than in the US...........

[Theinquisition]

I mean, I admit it was a disastrous outcome. Like I said, I don't know the reason why we decided to use agent orange. Some claim it was solely to attack the plant life that the resistance was using to hide in. Regardless, it had a negative impact that we either did or did not predict, just like the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. They claimed the bombs would help save many, but ended up killing so many more innocent people from the effects of radiation than I think our military/government care to admit. People in Japan are still dying to cancer that they otherwise might not have had ever affect them.

Who knows why we refuse to admit things like this. I don't see it as weakness to say, "Hey, we fucked up and hurt many people unintentionally."

I mean, sure we can say that. I sucks that it has had some long lasting effects on our Vietnam vets.

What I don't like (and I assume Kellhound as well) is the implication that....

1. AO was used as a direct weapon against people
2. That we were in violation of international law by using it
3. That we knew there would be long lasting negative effects.

[brob]

because they are powerful. just because you arnt in first place. doesnt mean you should be taken lightly

[Deleted]

Not to say that Agent Orange isn't a caustic, toxic substance, but it wasn't used on people, wasn't targeting people, and the long term negative effects weren't known at the time. Additionally, it was used in concordance with applicable international law.

So it never occurred to any one that a caustic, toxic substance which was known to vaporize organic matter might have harmful effects on humans? That just defies the most basic common sense. It would not stand up in any non-partisan court: it would be like claiming that you didn't know giving your children weedkiller to drink was harmful.

I'd go with the "we did because we were evil" explanation if I were you, because if that is true then the level of incompetence in the US military is staggering.

[Hctaz]

I mean, sure we can say that. I sucks that it has had some long lasting effects on our Vietnam vets.

What I don't like (and I assume Kellhound as well) is the implication that....

1. AO was used as a direct weapon against people
2. That we were in violation of international law by using it
3. That we knew there would be long lasting negative effects.

Yes but it's almost like we refuse to admit that it had unintended consequences to Vietnamese civilians. It isn't even directly about the Vietnam vets, but also the natives who either didn't support the war, or who were even actively helping our troops. There were plenty of natives who were actively supporting our troops. Those could have been affected just as easily as our own troops.

[Deleted]

What's your opinion on Assad's current actions

I think he's a cunt. But you wouldn't give a shit if it was your own armed forces doing exactly the same thing.

[Thrive]

I think he's a cunt. But you wouldn't give a shit if it was your own armed forces doing exactly the same thing.

I wouldn't care if our armed forces gassed their own people? Hate to tell ya bud, but that would be borderline revolutionary time

[Deleted]

Yes but it's almost like we refuse to admit that it had unintended consequences to Vietnamese civilians.

There's such a common level of plausible deniability in US military atrocities that it becomes suspicous.

With the drone strikes there's this excuse of "we are not TARGETTING civillians". But it is entirely predictable that you are going to kill thousands of people chasing dozens of terrorists. At the end of it you are left with exactly the same results as the most vicious imaginable terrorist campaign.

The plausible deniability just seems to be PR.

[VyersReaver]

Old video:

What's that movie? I wanna watch it so bad now.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't care if our armed forces gassed their own people? Hate to tell ya bud, but that would be borderline revolutionary time

I don't see mainstream America doing much when some black guy gets shot for jaywalking, which would be the closest analogy here.

If the federal government gassed some white girl scouts or something, yeah people probably would object, but that wouldn't be an accurate analogy.

[Independent voter]

I don't see mainstream America doing much when some black guy gets shot for jaywalking, which would be the closest analogy here.

If the federal government gassed some white girl scouts or something, yeah people probably would object, but that wouldn't be an accurate analogy.

It'll take another 50 years but we'll get things sorted out, that's a lot of drone strikes.

Strap in advanta, it's going to be a hell of a ride.

[Thrive]

I don't see mainstream America doing much when some black guy gets shot for jaywalking, which would be the closest analogy here.

If the federal government gassed some white girl scouts or something, yeah people probably would object, but that wouldn't be an accurate analogy.

You're pretty anti-American, that much is clear. Good for you. Arguing with someone with this bad of a bias is silly though. Have a good night man.

[Daedius]

What's that movie? I wanna watch it so bad now.

Some series called "The Newsroom" off HBO.

[Sanguinerd]

Hell even in the Netherlands I grew up in the 80/90s with American cartoons, American movies, American toys(though made in China I guess) and seeing Bill Clinton on TV and for the longest time I thought it was the greatest country on earth. It isn't that far fetched to think the people actually living there would feel and think the same thing even if it's not true in some aspects.

A small part of me is sometimes jealous when I see or read about how American people support their country. That sense of pride is really lacking here, it's just different.

Not sure if I'd ever want to live there but I'd still love to visit it one day though, they got some awesome landmarks.

[ccampb6]

What currency is the oil traded in? I'll save you the google search.... US Motherfucking Dollar.

/thread

[Rootkitt]

I guess I will get hate from Americans here, but from facts and figures from 2017 America is in a bad place.


Economy is bad, China will be the best economic power in decades to come
Military wise, third world countries have more men power that could serve in a war.
Politics are unstable. Sure, every country has unstable politics, but in America LAND OF THE FREE?
Racial tensions are up high. Not surprise there, but an educated country would not different, no?


I am trying to stay away from 'oh he is just bashing US".

But please stop saying its still a powerful country.

Some things may be true, but it still doesn't change the impact that America has had on the modern world. China's economy is intertwined with American consumption. Europe and the result of WW2 was strongly impacted by US involvement. Modern technology, while created by a diverse set of great minds, is largely a result of US involvement.

I don't know what your idea of "powerful" is, but the world would be in a very different state if it was not for the US.

The fact is, you are likely using a browser created in the US, using protocols (mostly) originally designed in the US, on a forum based in the US, for a video game created in the US. If you looked around at your everyday life, you'd realize a lot of it is greatly influenced by the US, Americans, or those from other countries who came to the US to participate / create.

Not to say its all done by the US, but the US is influential in ways you probably don't recognize.