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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: greenspirit who wrote (115172)	9/18/2003 5:39:14 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Hi Michael, the reference to the Kims, Maos etc was to show how militarism does run away if allowed to. While the USA and the people there are constitutionally and culturally different from Japan, Korea, China, Germany, Argentina, Chile and Italy it's not much different. My point was to show how generally and in diverse cultures the militaristic mindset can take over and leads to mayhem. Not to say the USA is currently like that. But it would be naive to think that the USA can't become like that. Germany was an enlightened democracy. Hitler was voted into power and he then used violence to consolidate and expand that power. The USA has a lot of Germanic influence. Good old Arnie is as you read this seeking power in California. Henry Kissinger isn't a local yokel and he's been pulling strings for decades. The confluence of culture isn't predictable in outcome, but if you follow the money and the technology and the actions rather than the words, there's no shortage of militarism in the USA. Homeland Security and the Patriot Act for example are consolidations of government power with an authoritarian bent. Not to mention the Office of Disinformation. My observation of the USA is that it wouldn't take much to head for a very authoritarian and militaristic style of government. The emphasis in the constitution is to control the runaway powers of government. But the constitution is easily subverted if people want to. Congress simply hands power to the president to make war decisions for example. It's an area to keep a weather eye on and a lot of Americans know that and are doing that. Many are screaming bloody murder already. Guantanamo Bay is already years old and no trials, no habeas corpus. How do we know those people are legitimately held? That was what happened in the good old USSR, Chile and other places where people are disappeared, because they oppose the regime [allegedly]. You are right that if New Zealand was the only country maintaining freedom, Japan and Germany would have taken over a lot of the world. But if it had been solely up to the USA, Germany would have taken over all of Europe and I dare say a lot more besides. The USA was so cowardly and unwilling to defend freedom that it took until Japan attacked them at Pearl Harbour to realize that things were serious and they finally decided my father and his mates could do with a hand in Europe. Better late than never I suppose. While there are differences and each country is unique, I don't think the USA is all that different and militaristic autocracy is on the rise. I'd keep an eye on it. Mqurice