GunSlinger OIF II wrote:
you bring some valid points, but i still disagree with you in spirit. I see what your saying, but still, that doesnt change my opinion about this.
The US is like the welfare system to the world apparently. And if we dont wanna give country X as many food stamps as we promised, all of sudden were greedy.
we also have nearly 300 million americans that have priority over the rest of the world. The same I assume would go for your nation as well.
The problem here is that you keep saying the same thing in every single post, irrespective of my answer. If you're going to convince me that it's okay for the US to ignore their obligation to the UN and the world, then you're going to have to come up with something a little more justifying than simply saying that you have the right to be arrogant and dishonour your alliances. What you keep making it out to be is that the US have some extraordinary demands when it comes to foreign aid, and that their contribution is the only one that matters. I'm sorry, but I've spent 4 posts explaining to you that in the words of the US itself, the US has precisely the same requirements as those other 21 countries, and it falls drastically short, so you are infact complaining about the US having to honour their obligations.
No, no-one thinks of the US as the welfare system to the world, because it's clear that they can't deliver. The only thing I'm asking is that the US either lives up to its obligations to the UN, or opts out of it all together. Until either of those happens, you simply cannot defend the US not reaching those 0,7%, and actually complaining about the supposed "burden" the US has just by sending 0,22% is completely stupid.
Again, and please read this; these are US obligations that the US are free to opt out of. Until they do, they're open to every single bit of criticism they can get if they don't meet those obligations, and rightly so.
We have 6 million Danes that are just as important as every other person anywhere. We have free schooling, free healthcare, more government financial help to citizens than any other developed country on the planet
by far, and yet we still find the money to honour and exceed our obligations and respect the UN and the people in need.
In short, so we won't need a repeat of the last 5 posts: The US isn't living up to the contractual obligations they have to the UN. If you're going to complain about these obligations, complain about the US government, not the people in need, as that's just immensely absurd.
lowing wrote:
mikkel wrote:
GunSlinger OIF II wrote:
ok now it sounds like your saying "sure lets buy everyone else a mercedes, ill just drive my geo metro' The United States is the biggest monetary contributor to the UN and your complaining that they havent given enough, Im sorry man, but I just dont see the United States owing much to anybody. The world should be content with the contribution we give instead of asking for more and more. Why? why should the US be obliged to give more, and i say GIVE, aid to anybody.
You really aren't reading my posts at all, are you? Can the arrogance for a second, and if you can, lower yourself from that superior American level to the level of a simple mortal human, and read my posts through again. I'm not the one saying that the US has these obligations. The US says that the US has these obligations. It's 0,7% to people who need it. 0,7% that the US agreed upon. 0,7%. Not the 80% you make it sound like. The US isn't giving more than anyone. These contributions are measured in GNP. This is what the UN says, and this is what the US says. Let's just stick to what they think, instead of changing it for the benefit of your argument. The US is officially giving less than most other developed nations. Honestly, hold back on the self-pity there for a second, and be realistic.
These are US goals, US obligations and US responsibilities that the US agreed to. If you're going to blame anyone, blame your own government, not the people reciting the committments they made.
Well I will pipe up.............As Americans, we are free, and maybe that means free to change our minds on what, where, how and to who we give our generosity to. Does that settle it?
If that settles it? If you had read and comprehended my previous posts, you'd realise that it is infact not your right to decide how much you give when you've obligated yourselves to give at least 0,7%.
Honestly, posting on a forum means that you read and respond with constructive replies. Three lines above your reply is this exact same answer, just as valid as the one I'm giving you now, and just as devastating to your arrogant rambling. Not reading posts before you reply doesn't make you clever. I realise that you must put a lot of faith into the validity of that argument for you to completely disregard every other argument that has been made, but saying something like that after I've posted five posts that completely destroyed that argument and even told you, kind as I am, where to direct your criticism just makes you look extremely inept at carrying a discussion. I'm sorry, but it does.
Last edited by mikkel (2006-05-12 02:52:52)