Why Do So Many Americans Lack Empathy?

I have to give credit to the French, they actually shut down a whole country with public and Union strikes over government trying to ante up on retirement age. What has the US worker done but suck the tit off the corrupted Union managers here which turn the cheek for there own handout.

The Verizon strike is a joke and an embarrassment to the founding fathers here in the US just the same as any run of the mill education strike.

 

They like killing people.

Makes them feel good.

Can't take casualties though.

 

I have a question to those who claim we don't go to war for resources, how then did we find this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html

I have a question to those who think we aren't paying taxes for a national "defense" that is just being used for globalist muscle, how do you explain this?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/12/12/us-iraq-usa-oil-idUSTRE5BB18Q20091212

I have a question now for those who "hate" America while globalists in control think more about other countries than ours, are you ready for when nationalists take it back over?

WE WILL REMEMBER THE THINGS YOU HAVE SAID.

 

WTF ever. Are you seriously saying that American shouldn't advance free market principles around the world and engage in the commercialization of emerging markets? That's been the ACCEPTED primary FUNCTION of the US military since World War II. To provide the stability and protection and expansion of free access by Western nations to natural resources and emerging markets. Of COURSE we're "globalist muscle".

I'm as much a nationalist as you, but I'm not an economic nationalist. Technology has made it impossible for America to survive without globalization.

..and do what?

I'm not paying 3-4 times as much for my consumer goods just so some dumb ass American incapable of adapting to a cutthroatly competitive world expects a middle class quality of life out of menial labor. I seek efficiency and the lowest price possbile, that is all that matters, nothing else, and I don't care if a Chinaman or an American make it one bit.

 

You just admitted right there that we are paying for military that is used to make other nation's rich people money. LOL. "I see your true colors..shining through.."

The great majority of people who have been stripped of middle class status by free trade, and the future generations who will never have a chance to achieve such status, do things on a daily basis that require YEARS of experience. Our people are our greatest resource, and when you have people who could be doing great things stuck at McDonalds because they have to feed their family and there are no other options just so a billionaire can make more money, you can no longer call yourself nationalist for support of such things. You are a globalist, SM. You can't be both. Do you honestly think anyone cares that you prefer living in America over the rest while you sell the old girl out? I would tell you to pick a side Benedict Arnold, but you already have.

 

working class americans are not your enemy silicon - and if your generation think so, kid - by the time you are my age you will be paying a very high price.

 

I totally agree. Why are we continuously trying to be the worlds police out of someone else's investment that we the American public get no return from.

 

First off i must say say i am against the world police roll that the USA has taken upon itself. i think the US needs to pull out and worry about its own people at home. We got our own problems and need to address those not fight wars over seas. The rest of the world can defend themselves and make up their own minds on how they approach terrorism in their own regions. However I am for having the biggest military in the world by far however for the safety of the people but it should only be used when absolutely necessary for national security. I am also for a big military budget because i want to develop weapons that are better, more accurate, and more precise to limit collateral damage. Now that all being said i am more of a total war fan when fighting wars. which i will discuss in my next post,

 

All political opinions about the wars themselves aside this is my views on how they were fought

As there is a great quote that sums it all up. It goes:
"War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over" -- Gen William T. Sherman

War is a horrible thing and when it happens we should do everything possible to end it quickly and win. looking through the most efficient war strategies are the ones that follow Sherman's quote. March to the sea, Philippine American war, atomic bomb.

Looking at the Philippine American war the Americans were rather ruthless (a little too much for me) but by doing so they broke the will of the people to fight. However on the flip side look at the Vietnam war which was a complete disaster. We tried to reform the concept of war and it ended in disaster although technically the americans won the militaristic side of the war it is irrelevant. The americans could not capture victory soon enough the war drug out for too long and they lost support and the NVA broke the will to fight of the american people. Efforts to reform war drag out wars longer than they should be and many times end up with more casualties than necessary. If you can end the war quickly by a little more cut-throt it is better than having long drawn out wars for several years like the one we are in now.

also what reforming war does is makes us more comfortable with war. We try to make war more humane and by doing so we accept war better and are more eager to fight. I think this is wrong war is a horrible thing and thats how it should be seen ass so. we need to make every effort to not become comfortable with war and have it as a last resort.

Now i am not saying drop an a bomb every time we get attacked or carpet bomb tons of villages with innocents to nail a few key targets but i am talking about keeping war a cruel thing and doing the nesacary things to end the war quickly and get it over with.

 

Jesus. A quote from Sherman. I'm not even that bold. I give you points for audacity, but you might as well be arguing killing children is necessary because they grow into your enemies. We are Americans. I want our troops holding their head high into battle, not foaming out the mouth.

 

I know but you have to put you opinions of the guy aside and and actually think about what he said. Even though he obviously went far beyond what most people wold condone (including me) the man understood war better than anyone in history.

the point is that trying to reform war fails in more ways than one. Although i dont ok to go all out total war, there are times where as unpleasant as it the nesacary measures to win need to be taken which will help in the long run.

 

I will never condone the killing of civilians, but I think the Geneva convention is a joke. We should have ultra-super-awesome-omg-carriers at this point. LOL. I would have air craft carriers that could fly themselves if we could. Hell, build some fricking mechs already. I just want them fighting for the interests of Americans. We should of ended the 20th century with total control of north America. Manifest Destiny.

 

Pretty much the only time i would only condone it in extreme situations.

for instance if it were very early WW2 and we pin pointed Hitlers position in a park and could kill him by dropping a bomb on him but it many civilians would die as well.

i would have very hard time doing so but i would drop the bomb because i knew that if i let this opportunity go by more than likely the amount of innocents hitler would end up killing would be much larger than the amount killed by the bomb.

If you chose not to drop the bomb then you are responsible for every death that results in the war under hitlers leadership later because you had the opportunity to stop him but didnt.

that is the type of things i am talking about.

 

LOL. You could also argue if we would have joined the axis powers we would rule a 3rd of the earth. Not playing games in their government to help make the elite richer, but an American flag flying. All those who convinced our elite to betray us would have been toast. Hind sight is 20/20, I guess. It depends if you are one of the few doing good today or one of the rest. But yes, I get your analogy.

 

The point is that if there is a high priority target that has been killing many people and for what ever reason you decide not to take the guy out then you have the blood in your hands of every person killed from that moment forth because of the influence of that man that you decided not to take out.

If there is a terorist in an area that is known to be planing to carry out an attack that would kill hundreds then I would have to make the choice to kill 20 or 30 so I can get this guy before he carried out the attack. If you let him go and he is successful then the blood of the 100s is on your hands.

 

Here's the problem, if you will allow me. You can't go back in time. You don't know which person will "eventually kill millions", so under your logic civilians are always fair game. You will never know if you killed the guy who would have done legendary damage, you will just be that guy yourself.

 

When I saw the Fuzzy Wuzzy who looked like he came right out the the movie "The Four Feathers" attacking the innocent villagers, I just felt like I wanted to splatter that Janjaweed's brains all over the sands. But, having empathy for those that must be sent to do it, we must bomb the bad guys and their hundreds of thousands of supporters from space, I decided I would leave it up to you. Then that Annan guy with empathy said something about them running out of villages to burn in 2004, and I decided I would leave it up to you.

"Now that the Court has issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Bashir, it faces new difficulties because it is unclear how an arrest warrant against a sitting head of state might be implemented." http://www.amicc.org/docs/Bashir_Warrant.pdf

http://www.icc-cpi.int/menus/icc/si...lated cases/icc02050109/icc02050109?lan=en-GB

I am waiting for your empathy to do something. Any time...hello...any empathy in there...hello...

 

However you can know the calculated risk. If you are at war and you know who the generals are or you know who the high ranking people in a major terrorist organization chances are that guy is going to kill many more. Also intelegence can tell you if this person is part of a major plan that would kill many people.

You can come to a calculated risk as to what would happen if you let the guy go and if the risk is high enough then yes I would have to drop the bomb.

 

You would be the only one guilty of mass murder. 2 wrongs don't make a right. The ends don't justify the means. Your ideology is exactly the same as those you claim you are trying to save people from. The "enemy", even Hitler, doesn't see himself as a bad guy. He is simply the opposite side of the coin of your beliefs. The only way for there to be a "good guy", is if one of the players in a conflict choose to take a higher path. Be that guy, brother. Be that guy.

 

Well idk if we are at war with a nation and I knew there was a terrorist that is going to kill hundreds I would have to kill 20 to save hundreds because truth be told if don't take out the guy then I am responsible for the death of hundreds.

 

Interesting story.

 

Let me help create that list of the " rich, mean-minded, cold-hearted, selfish, greedy (*)(*)(*)(*)ehawks who monopolise all the goodies" for you:

Bill and Melinda Gates (Foundation): http://www.gatesfoundation.org
Carnegie Mellon: http://www.cmu.edu
Alfred Nobel (Nobel Prize): http://www.nobelprize.org/
Paul Getty (Getty Foundation): http://www.getty.edu/
Henry Ford (Ford Foundation): http://www.fordfoundation.org/
Eli Lilly (Foundation): http://www.lillyendowment.org/
C.V. Starr (Starr Foundation): http://www.starrfoundation.org/


There are 100s of very wealthy people that start foundations, donate to programs across the world, and do plenty.

TV & Movie actors/actresses
Musicians
Business owners

The list is long - helping children, the arts, health, poverty, and numerous causes.

There are MASSIVE events - in the music industry from Farm Aid to fighting AIDS.

Your post reads like all wealthy people are greedy selfish people.
I would argue that wealthy people have given back of their own volunteer efforts far more than the government could even attempt to make better through their efforts.

Where do you think grants and scholarships come from?
Where do you think foundation money comes from?
Who do you think are the biggest donors to NPR and PBS?
Who funds a mass amount of American's museums and art work?
Who do you think alumni are that help universities?
Where do you think the money comes from to help build the new church, synagogue, or masque?


Empathy - I think the wealthy have far more empathy that you can even fathom.

Regardless of ideology or political parties - the wealthy have given back to society (Musicians, Actors, Business man, and even religious organizations)!

 

Profiteering by big oil.

 

Not enough.