America: We’re Number One!
Statue of Liberty
Have you ever got misty-eyed when the National Anthem was played or the stars and strips unfurled? There is so much to be proud of in this country. We, a strong nation with a cultural diversity of legal and illegal immigrants [smile], have always pursued being number one in everything because we are America damn it! This has always been something to be proud of. Well, fellow Americans, we certainly are number one in many important categories. Blog4Brains wants to remind everyone just how much we have to be proud of in this nation. Check it out…
Thanks to Alternet.org, they have provided the list of Number Ones for America. So, stand tall and be proud of America and what we stand for. Without further ado, here they are:
First in Oil Consumption:
The United States burns up 20.7 million barrels per day, the equivalent of the oil consumption of China, Japan, Germany, Russia, and India combined.First in Carbon Dioxide Emissions:
Each year, world polluters pump 24,126,416,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the environment. The United States and its territories are responsible for 5.8 billion metric tons of this, more than China (3.3 billion), Russia (1.4 billion) and India (1.2 billion) combined.First in External Debt:
The United States owes $10.040 trillion, nearly a quarter of the global debt total of $44 trillion.First in Military Expenditures:
The White House has requested $481 billion for the Department of Defense for 2008, but this huge figure does not come close to representing total U.S. military expenditures projected for the coming year. To get a sense of the resources allocated to the military, the costs of the global war on terrorism, of the building, refurbishing, or maintaining of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, and other expenses also need to be factored in, you get a grand total of $647 billion for 2008.First in Weapons Sales:
Since 2001, U.S. global military sales have normally totaled between $10 and $13 billion. That’s a lot of weapons, but in fiscal year 2006, the Pentagon broke its own recent record, inking arms sales agreements worth $21 billion. It almost goes without saying that this is significantly more than any other nation in the world. [Might I add that a lot of those weapons that we have sold other countries over the years have been turned against us.]
Antiaircraft defense rockets.
First in Sales of Surface-to-Air Missiles:
Between 2001 and 2005, the United States delivered 2,099 surface-to-air missiles to nations in the developing world, 20% more than Russia, the next largest supplier.
First in Sales of Military Ships:
During that same period, the U.S. sent 10 “major surface combatants” like aircraft carriers and destroyers to developing nations. Collectively, the four major European weapons producers shipped thirteen. (And we were first in the anti-ship missiles that go along with such ships, with nearly double (338) the exports of the next largest supplier Russia (180).First in Military Training:
A thoughtful empire knows that it is not enough to send weapons; you have to teach people how to use them. The Pentagon plans on training the militaries of 138 nations in 2008 at a cost of nearly $90 million. No other nation comes close.First in Private Military Personnel:
According to the bestselling author Jeremy Scahill, there are at least 126,000 private military personnel deployed alongside uniformed military personnel in Iraq alone. Of the more than sixty major companies that supply such personnel worldwide, more than 40 are U.S. based.
From all of the above accomplishments of the United States, we should be the most proud of our sales of military weapons. Through aggressive lobbying for relaxed standards and regulations, our military-industrial complex has seen enormous growth and profits [applause and cheers from the Neocons]. But what about this policy of unbridled weapons exportation? Do you think that there could be a downside? Well, from an organization called the World Policy Institute’s Program on Collective Security and Preventive Diplomacy, they have reported that perhaps America needs to be reined in. But, here’s what Bush had to say about the rise of tyranny and terror:
The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom…[and] America will stand with the allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
These words came from President George W. Bush in his 2005 State of the Union address, and when spoken, everyone cheered and applauded. But what have we actually done to support freedom and end tyranny as Bush so proudly states? According to the World Policy Institute, “with a decades-long policy of selling weapons and providing military aid to some of the world’s worst tyrants and dictators, we have proven to be the worst contributors to conflict all over the world”.
They report that under President Bush’s leadership, this trend has accelerated, and freedom and democracy have suffered as a result. According to the latest report from the World Policy Institute, they have a very sober analysis of what our being Number One means in regards to weapons sales. Here is what they had to say:
The greatest danger emanating U.S. arms transfers and military aid programs is not in the numbers, but in the potential impacts on the image, credibility and security of the United States. Arming repressive regimes in all corners of the globe while simultaneously proclaiming a campaign for democracy and against tyranny undermines the credibility of the United States in international forums and makes it harder to hold other nations to high standards of conduct on human rights and other key issues. Arming undemocratic governments all too often helps to enhance their power, frequently fueling conflict or enabling human rights abuses in the process. These blows to the reputation of the United States are in turn impediments to winning the “war of ideas” in the Muslim world and beyond, a critical element in drying up financial and political support for terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda.
I know this sounds like America bashing, but it’s not. It’s a wake up call to all you fellow Americans out there who may still think that America stands for what is right in the world. What the above represents, and the reality on the ground in the Middle East, is that we have dangerously lost our way. We need to start educating ourselves on what we are doing to the rest of the world and become better world citizens calling on our leaders to stop the madness. Let your Congressman or woman know that we need to stop the unbridled military-industrial complex from its uncontrolled growth and stop ruining this country. Now!
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I’ve just come across your blog, I enjoy your passion, and humour. I am not an American, so I’m not likely to get offended or consider this America bashing.
I think it is one of the biggest challenges for thinking people to get a balance between pointing out what seems clearly unethical, immoral and destructive while avoiding sliding into an obsesive rant…AND offering or being open to wiser alternatives.
good luck with it!
Ed
Good luck with the challenge
Thanks Ed for your comment.
The problem with Americans is that we are too busy consuming and paying taxes to really be in touch with our global impact. In addition, when we do pay attention, the big corporate, conglomerate media offers a filtered view of the world. So, we really are never exposed to how others see us.
An eye opening experience for Americans would be to live overseas and then find out what people really think of us. I lived in Saudi Arabia for over a year, and believe me, things are not as they protray on NBC, CBS, ABC or Fox News…not even close.
Thanks again for your encouraging words. We need more thinking people like you in the world.
Its funny that when you tell the truth about our governments actions you feel the need to point out that this isn’t america bashing. Kinda sad that the truth sounds like an insult so often. If you want to do a little happy stuff I think we’re also number 1 in money to charity as we should be as the richest country on earth, but also in blood donations, which is a better testament to the giving nature of the american people, even if our government only thinks of money and death.
Of course I can’t be certain that those are true as I’m lacking in time to check. Great article. I think our militarism was well summed up in the movie Syriana,
“When a country has five percent of the world’s population but spends fifty percent of the world’s military spending, that country’s persuasive power is in decline.”
Great quote Kilgore. I loved that movie.
In regards to America bashing. I don’t want anyone to get me wrong. I love this country. I have lived overseas, particularly Saudi Arabia, and living there for over a year will make you want to kiss the ground of America when you get back.
This is a great country. I just want to see it return to its democratic principles and be a beacon of hope to people of the world instead of a beacon of war.
War With Iran a.s.a.p.? Are we being prepped by Bush for a nuclear war with Iran? This month’s national and global news makes one wonder just what is really going on. Is it just saber-rattling?
Or is it beforehand propaganda of justification for Bush’s upcoming catastrophic event //ba-Boom// because the “Iran to-go decision” already has been made months ago? And now Bush is delivering to us the pre-sell hype? //”The tail before the head” technique?// Don’t panic, but doesn’t it look like there might be another preemptive strike? This time, a nuclear attack on Iran? Remember the invasion of Iraq? No declaration of war with Iran is necessary for a preemptive strike. Also…President Bush believes the War On Terror can extend beyond Iraq. Right? All right! Right on!
A collage of news stories follows: (8-29-07 The Times) President Bush raises the stakes over Iran bomb with warning of “holocaust” / (9-2-07 The Sunday Times) Pentagon ‘three-day blitz’ plan for Iran…massive air strikes against 1,200 targets in Iran…8220 pinprick strikes / (9-16-07 Washington AP) The Bush administration is committed, for now, to using diplomatic and economic means…Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday / (9-16-07) TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Enriched uranium fuel is ready to be shipped from Russia to Iran…talks in Moscow between / French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner…We must prepare ourselves for the worst…could mean a war / French President Nicolas Sarkozy mentioned the possibility of an attack on Iran…would be as “catastrophic” as Tehran getting a nuclear bomb / (9-19-07 TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The deputy commander of Iran’s air force said Wednesday that plans have been drawn up to bomb Israel if the Jewish state attacks Iran…. end-of-collage
Do you recall that General Petraeus just said that the U.S. did not have enough soldiers available to curtail by military intervention another crisis? Really? Not so. No problem, because the U.S. has plenty of nuclear weapons. Just push a button. One man. Am I kidding about nuclear war with Iran? Oh no, our Lame-Ducky President Bush can wipe out Iran, can eliminate its threat to Israel and to the entire Middle East, can score one against the terrorists //ba-Boom// and can win history’s “A Most Important U.S. President” award by sharing the “big ba-Boom slot” with Harry Truman. By Gawk!
Will Bushy give the order? Does not the above collage selections prep the world with evidence enough that if Bushy does so — hey, guys! — He Had To Do It. //Sorry I scared you. Sorry I scared myself// Hey, gays, what pet name will our Commander-in-Chief use to christen the airplane/missile that’ll carry the ba–Booms to Iran? I don’t think Bush will name it the “Enola Gay Two.” Do you? What’s your pet-name suggestion for the ba-boom carrier?
Their asses (Bush and admin members plus extended families, Congress members and Pentagon warriors including their loved ones) their asses are covered, figuratively and yes literally. Hey, just where is the Fed’s massive fallout/bomb shelter? Underground in D.C. and/or underground under Camp David in Penna….and one last question, for you all — Just where is your home fallout shelter?
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Correction: Camp David
Located 70 miles from the White House in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland, Camp David was established in 1942 as a place for the President to relax and …
www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/campdavid.htm - 8k - Cached - Similar pages
Fed’s Fallout Shelter: For an in-depth read of the massive underground bunkers constructed to safeguard our President and his admin and our legislators and pentagon warriors et al. mentioned at the bottom of the “War With Iran a.s.a.p.” comment to Unum’s “America: We’re Number One!” article, please click on:
http://www.clui.org/clui_4_1/lotl/v23/v23c.html
Again, the question repeated: where is YOUR fallout shelter?
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War With Iran, Nation-Building. It’s not the economy, stupid! It’s wars that build a nation into a great nation. First of all, I know little about Iran or its culture, its religion, its history. There is no doubt in my mind that you, the average reader, know more about Iran than I know. So, I’m not telling you anything. What I am trying to do is to awake in you my idea of what goes into making a nation, a great nation like ours, and thus also for Iran. What makes Iran tick. You fellows who majored in history, or minored in history, or are great readers of history, would be better able to write this comment on nation-building. A student might want to recall his or her notes from your old history 201.
Second, I am an American of Polish descent. I consider myself loyal and patriotic to my country, America. My eyes water and I shiver up when the words are heard: “Oh, say, can you see….” Okay, then, let’s spark up this discussion comment:
Background: Our country, the United States of America, was once a very small, isolated country that was born out of the Revolutionary war. We burst onto the world scene during W.W.II to become a great power. Our nation was built thru war. If we really loved peace, we would be a small peaceful nation like Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden…. There is a difference between Attack Wars and Defend Wars. We have switched into a Defend War mode. //except for the greed wars, like the current one for oil// We, most of us, believe we are defending our way of life. Which, unfortunately is warlike.
//You may point to the Soviet Union as an example where our economic might have beaten them. Sorry, but I do not think the Russian-American conflict is over yet. As for China? China is doing what Japan economically did before starting the small wars that led up to W.W.II. My older brothers collected metal trash (for money) which was sent to Japan for recycling. That trash become toys, then adult war toys//
Now, IRAN and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. What are they doing, what is Iran up to: You got it — Nation-building. //There is no doubt they will have the big ba-boom bomb soon// How do you build a nation? By war. Is it right or is it wrong? Right for Iran; wrong for the U.S. Wars are the pick and shovel for building a nation. It is human-race nature. //others will argue, soooo?// We chose our path; they chose the same path. And today? I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. Myself, I am like you, maybe, for peace in a warring nation.
I just wanted to show you where, I think, Iran is coming from and, not what they are up to, but why. Nation-building. I don’t know if they are right, are wrong. //I do know the U.S. marines have a dog for a mascot. First, doberman, second, German shepherd, today, unofficially, a pit-bull dog// Will our nation stay on top? Only down-the-lane history will tell the tale. Hey, by Gawk, not once did I mention the nation-building //wars// of the Rome Empire.
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