Technical correction regarding the US attack on Canada noted. But once British soldiers entered US territory the game became national defense. And a defense of the First Amendment.

Technical correction regarding the Alamo noted. But the defenders were nearly all Americans and it's generally considered an epic last stand involving brave Americans, defending their American rights and liberties as outlined in the constitution.

Technical correction regarding WWII dismissed. It was a war for markets and resources colored by noble propaganda statements and slogans just like the rest of them.

I just realized we're getting way off topic.... me included. Ooops.

Hooking it all up, I'll suggest very few of the Americans in the Alamo were obese or stupid, but a few may have had 'legal issues' across the border from back across the US border. The US military has a long rich history of accepting people with 'legal issues' and I don't think it's fair to dismiss an 18 year old due to an infraction or two or a even an interesting collection of youthful indiscretions.

Heck, why not after an honorable discharge clear his sheet and provide him a fresh start. After a few months of basic military training and proper diet he'll no longer be obese, after discharge he'll no longer be a criminal, and down the road he'll definitely be a whole lot smarter too! Problem solved.

Eastbay,
next thing you will suggest we let illegal aliens aquire citizenship through military service. We can use the nastiest gangsters to quell resistance to our occupations and then let them come back without criminal records and full citizenship. A few rounds of that we have a population of 400 million and the largest standing army in the world.

Incidentally, this program already exists. It is possible for illegals that meet military requirements to join up and get guaranteed (and expedited) citizenship once their term of honorable service is complete. Personally I think its a great program, and very much what America is all about.

Of course, I also always liked the idea in Starship Troopers that ALL Americans must serve to earn their citizenship and right to vote.

Highlander you've been around here to know how I feel about immigration both legal and illegal. I'll repeat it again.... a moratorium is in order. Like right now. I'm talking about US citizen youth who screwed up as a minors or as a very young adults. I'm not talking about including killers or other serious criminals either. They belong in harsh camps breaking rocks for decades.

Hi all- So most people here are in agreement (I said most people) that the US is in the beginning stages of an economic collapse/disaster; some say eventually to 3rd world status. My questions is regarding our military machine, arguably one of the largest, if not THE largest, in the world. Do you think we're going to "go down" without taking others with us militarily? I may be naiive, but I can't see how the government would let the ship sink without trying everything at its disposal to keep it afloat. And we all know how children are when you try to take their toys away... they kick, scream and throw gigantic fits... except our children have nuclear weapons.

Hopefully this question makes enough sense to garner well thought-out responses.

Not a bad question...

We're getting all we can handle in Afghanistan. A fool fights on two fronts, and only someone dumber than a sack of hammers would fight on 10 fronts. Ever see the footage of a huge elephant being taken down by like 15 lions?

Using cruise missiles and B-2 bombers to pulverize a country into supplying us oil would probably not work, and more than likely we'd get massively embargoed. Blowing up the oil rigs and tankers only would ensure that nobody (including us) gets the oil. Ditto on using nukes.

Ground troops are something we don't have enough of to secure more than maybe one Middle East country at a time.

We are vulnerable to assymetric warfare. Spending more on military than every other country in the world put together, doesn't mean you could DEFEAT every other country in the world put together.

Pipelines and refineries are vulnerable to militants, tankers are vulnerable to mines.

The Saudi air force bombing Yemeni rebels may indicate the start of the oil endgame.

I would guess TPTB will have their hands full at home, keeping the population pacified, to be expanding into new wars.

History has shown that when countries decline they start to look for a scapegoat (Germany blamed the Jews for instance). I wonder who our scapegoat will be?

Allow me to introduce you to the D.R.E.A.M. Act.

Do you want fries with that?

Might depend on the constituency that you are trying to sell to.

Maybe Jewish bankers (housing & credit crisis), maybe Arabs (oil & terrorism), maybe we'll look south towards Mexico (swine flu & immigration). Maybe all 3.

One key for scapegoats is picking a scapegoat of the right size. China would be too big of a target, and someone too few in number like Albanians would be too small of a target.

Another would be easy access to scapegoats in question. Easiest if they live in your country. Slightly harder if they are next country over, a lot harder if they are overseas.

Then the 3rd key would be how easy you could market the story. For example blaming starving people in Darfur would not be as easy as blaming sinister-looking black-cloaked turban-wearing Muslims.

Point taken, and I agree, however, we know that's not going to happen. No one wants to look in the mirror.

I don't see how starting a war helps keep us afloat. Maybe wait for Palin in 2012 to try something stupid like that.

"Immigrants." You see it here at po.com all the time. The problems of the US are caused by "immigrants."

The USSR didn't nuke anyone while they collapsed, as I recall.....