Yeah it is pretty much a one way street and I do not consider them an ally. They are more like a protectorate of the US.Originally Posted by AlboSooner
Yeah it is pretty much a one way street and I do not consider them an ally. They are more like a protectorate of the US.
We do not have an formal alliance with the state of Israel.
that would explain that whole spy clemency thing that's going on
My argument was never about any alliance we had with the Israelis, or whether or not they would join us in combat. My argument is that we do have interests in Israel. Personally, I don't believe we have much of anyone we can depend on in a military sense. Sure, there are nations that contribute when we ask them to, but there isn't any single US ally that could stand on their own if it came down to that.
What interests do we have in Israel? Show your work.
Oh I think the Brits could take care of themselves pretty well.
More like obligation to protect Jews after what Hitler did?
The Four major religions in terms of number of followers are Christianity and Islam followed by Hinduism and Judasim.
Christians have a lot of countries they could go to if they are being persecuted(EU,NA - Christian Majority)
Muslims have a lot of countries they could go to.(Saudi,UAE etc - Muslim Majority)
Hindus have India and Nepal(Hindu Majority)
There is no country where Jews are in majority.(Need for Israel)
I agree there are so many small religions that fall into same category but none of them are under threat like Jews(and to some extent Hindus) from other religions(mostly Islam)
What?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...us_populations
Jews can go to anywhere in the developed world and not be prosecuted, last time I checked the pogroms are well gone. The only other religion which has its own "homeland" is Juche, LOL
Israel provides us a ton of stuff behind the scenes about the middle east. Intel from Mossad is almost daily.
Also they are our buffer in the region. We use them like they use us. As long as Arab eyes are focused on them, they aren't focused on us as much.
You may not think that warrants them getting the help they get from us (I would agree that's debatable), but they do actually do things of value for us.
Something like 80% of cut diamonds to the USA come through Israel too. Just an interesting little tidbit.
"We still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping at the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised to furnish new pretenses for revenue and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without a tribute."
-- Thomas Paine
Why does the wish to preserve world religions merit billions of dollars (maybe trillions?) spent by the U.S. taxpayer?
I'd argue that Arab eyes associate us with Israel 90% of the time, we go pretty much hand in hand.
yes, and their perspectives have colored our perceptions for decades. which many would argue is not a a source of reliable or objective analysis.
Read the entire post.
Last edited by 8timechamps; 4/14/2012 at 01:55 PM.
In a short lived conflict, the Brits are fine. Should they ever encounter a conflict with China, they wouldn't fare quite so well. Of course, the chance that they would ever find themselves in an armed conflict of that size and scale is very, very slim.
I can only assume you mean spending total (as opposed to annual), because trillions is pushing it even for a total contribution.
Just so I know where you stand, is it just Israel you oppose foreign aid, or is it every country in the world we send aid?
Not answering for Midtowner, but the usefulness of foreign aid is highly questionable, especially in Africa where aid may be hindering development rather than helping it. Over $1 trillion in aid to Africa since 1970, yet the people are poorer in terms of real income. Corrupt heads of state siphoning of aid or totally seizing all of it, failing institutions and lack of infrastructure to properly deliver aid, as well as using the aid as a crutch. Lots of free money keeps inflation and debt high, and keeps bad governments in power. We can't solve Israel, Palestine or DRC's problems, and throwing money at the problem certainly doesn't help.
George Bush said to the world after 9/11 that the UK was America's greatest ally, and best friend. I believe him.
America's infatuation with Israel is a result of pro-Israel propaganda in the media, movies, and politics, and the religious rights. obsession with Armageddon scenarios and the idea that somehow Israel's fate is tied to Armageddon.
Many countries have companies in the stock market. I don't see the president swearing allegiance to every country who has companies in the stock market. The Mossad rides in the coattails of the CIA.
Just depends on where they are fighting a war.....if someone was trying to invade the UK my money is on the Brits
Agree that Jews can go anywhere in the developed world and not be PERSECUTED. But the IF they were to be persecuted, then they need a country to go and live. Germany was pretty developed back then but still they were persecuted.
and FYI
http://www.translegal.com/common-mis...e-vs-prosecute
And Juche isnt a religion
"Common mistake" as your link says, but I really guess you would want to get into a debate over semantics, since you are apparently poorly informed about the topic at hand. Where do you think persecution of Jews is a problem in the developed world? I realize Juche isn't purely a religion, but its included in most adherents lists. Hence why I included the "lol" afterwards...
Posting Permissions
