As a response to Ghengis: On the flip side, they need to be taught both, so they can use the knowledge to further the area of their choice.

On the main topic: As a Canadian son of an American woman (and a Canadian man) I feel rather ashamed of America. All this arguing and fighting in the senate is getting them nowhere. Their interference across the world is mostly unnecessary. They should maybe ease up on the world, and give countries a little more leeway to solve their own problems. They can help of course, but the forced "freedom" is overdoing it.

2 amendment was made so that the people can defy government when needed

Its true that America is not what it used to be. No nation is; the world as a whole is changing morally and ethically faster then anyone can follow. But I as an American am not ashamed of the wars we fought. Many world views about our interventions only exist because people think we lost. Isn't the Taliban evil? North Vietnam? No one complains about, say, our intervention in Bosnia and Kosovo. Some dark spots exist- such as our use of drones and inflated national debt- but those are partly because of the changing ways of the wars nowadays. Frankly there is a lack of participation from much of the world to buckle down, admit some folks act evil and need to be dealt with (Taliban, ISIS, North Korea), and then get shit done.

Many don't give America and the American people enough credit. We truly do want to do what is right, and I believe in our government's will do to the moral thing- not just make money. That's part of the reason our senate can't agree- the world is filled with controversy these days. Honestly, if you were put in a room with people with opposing views as your own and forced to try and compromise, would you be able to? Senators are humans too; its understandable although disappointing that they cannot achieve compromise.

Edited 1/15/2015 05:43:48

Also, is there anything wrong with wanting to stop those that would act maliciously? Nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan, that fall apart at the seams and host terrorists that then go and detonate themselves in crowded squares, have failed as a nation and need assistance. If it ever got to the point at which the Government collapsed, and roving gangs started beheading whole neighborhoods, I would dearly hope someone would intervene. At some point we must sit down and decide where the grey area stops.

On the gun issue: The Second Amendment exists for one purpose: to protect the citizenry from the government. Crime has nothing to do with it, in fact many say that widespread weapon ownership contributes to crime. However, take away citizen armaments and there would be nothing in the way of a military installment of a dictatorship, and an unwilling suppression of rights across the board. The moment the nation outlaws weapons is the moment it gives up its personal freedoms for the future- thus, the Second Amendment is a safeguard more than anything; an investment in the freedoms of future generation.

^ agree

Isn't the Taliban evil? North Vietnam? No one complains about, say, our intervention in Bosnia and Kosovo.

The sort of argument you see in Cold War era textbooks. The US of A funded the Taliban to fight the Soviets. Their little monster grew out of control. Classic American misjudgement. North Vietnam ? America lost that that war because of the loss of support from the very people they were "saving" from evil. I am sure if I were a Vietnamese villager I would despise Agent Orange. Nor would I tolerate Napalms raining on me while I plowed my fields.

We truly do want to do what is right, and I believe in our government's will do to the moral thing

Bush and morals ? Ha. You made me laugh there.

Mate, will you rationalize Drone attacks like that ?
Bosnia eh ? I remember how International Justice worked out there. Milosevic the killer died in prison pending trial while his victims lay rotting. Collective action is not always the way to go.

Why didn't America go bombing Rwanda while the ethnic cleansing occurred ? Why wasn't the National Party of South Africa and their Apartheid ideology blown apart ? And please, do explain why Latin America was persistently abused by the USA during the 20th century. Are they all morally right ?

America can proudly proclaim they are Imperialists who seek to assert their views just like the Europeans before them and it would be a question of what is the lesser evil. Right now, it is about attacking blatant hypocrisy in their Foreign Policy.

A very bad foreign policy history, mixed in with a little too much 'freedom' demanding trigger happy people.

Anyone can say what the United States did not intervene then, but how to say it, what they intervene?
It helps them? Afghanistan initially helped them against Russia, and they fought against America, with terror organizations, then they were wrong, and they tried to defeat them after they rudely attacked the World Trade Center, and the state helped them.
You even say they had to help South Africa and other countries but then you say it Imperialists?
You're contradicting yourself, and if they say they do not want to help because it is a waste of money, you will agree to help? I want to see, right Obama is a fool, but he does not owe you anything.

Genghis, you don't think schools should teach basic science?

That's all evolution is. Creationism isn't science. There is no scientific evidence for it. On the other hand, evolution is one of the best-supported scientific theories, with evidence and predictions coming from multiple disciplines.

On the original question: I think the US are doing their best in the world they can. We give them a lot of shit, and that is logical. When something doesn`t work out the way we wanted we want to blame somebody, in these cases it often is america (while Europe isn`t any better). It is good they are trying to help, just a shame they sometimes are a bit ignorant. I think that is the biggest problem.
About the gun problem or any similar problem: Although I personally don`t agree with it, I also don`t really care about it. I don`t live in the US so it isn`t my problem (might sound a bit blunt but I`m just being realistic here. Most humans don`t accually care for what happens to anybody outside their personal circle)

2 amendment was made so that the people can defy government when needed

Wrong. Learn about the history of the 2nd amendment before you speak

Just incase anyone doesn't believe I have knowledge of American History, I do indeed have the knowledge as I am a citizen of the US.

The history of the 2nd Amendment starts during the Revolutionary War.

Before the Revolutionary War, the British had enforced an arms embargo on the Colonies in fear that they would attack the soldiers of the British. The colonists feared that the British would use it to inflict harm onto them while they were helpless.
By choosing to add the Second Amendment, the United States entered an unspoken covenant with the people.
"If we allow you to use guns, you won't use it to harm us"
The Second Amendment was thus made for the exact opposite purpose, not so that people can defy government, but rather that they don't have a reason to defy government. If the state of trust in the Union is low enough that the government fears that the people will use guns to harm it, then it wholly retains the right to take the guns away.

I don't want to get in an argument with anyone on this topic, but the concept of evolution is a very elegant explanation on how things came to turn out this way.

Also, I'm reasonably sure that Thomas Jefferson, a founding father, quoted this:
"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive."

I'm sure he loved his guns too.

EDIT: Actually, to make clear my stance, I'm a big fan of having a large-ish (but not too large) military. Not so much when it's used to injure somebody.

Edited 1/16/2015 00:20:17

The Second Amendment, to make it more concise, is an unspoken pact that as long as the government passes nothing oppressive the people have no reason to bring to bear arms against it.

The US means well, however, with a series of ineffective Presidents unseen since the Reconstruction and Gilded era Presidents. Our stance is diminishing and our constant war in the Mid East is draining resources. While we may not be the most moral, we are the best at spreading more morality across the globe, I do believe we need to stop trying to force our own version of a republic to other nations because we refuse to take into account socio-ethnic-religious differences that may apply.

Yes we all came from singled cell organIzems hahahajajajajajannanananajahhahajajajajanhajajannanananananna

What I believe is that, God created life. Not us. he gave the universe the spark, then let time take its course and evolution brought about everything else, through the spark of God.

If Evolution is taught at schools, then Creationism should also be taught. But, our students will likely conform to an ideal based on peer pressure. This, with so many other factors, is why it is best we leave such things for our children to dabble in and discover on their own. I'm not for creationism, I'm not for evolution, I'm just saying maybe we should debate something more productive and relevant : like gun control, USA's interventionalism ( and fading glory ) and the Middle Eastern crises.

BTW : You can show all the " evidence " you want, it is still a theory( that said, there is evidence, but not enough ), along with plate tectonics, continental drift and whether human society is driven by greed and strife or compassion and sympathy.

It's so sad when people not only reject established science, but choose to remain willfully ignorant as to the evidence supporting it. They mock something that they've never tried to understand.

It makes no sense to me, it would be like if 40% of the US was positive the earth was flat, made fun of anybody who believed in that 'crazy globe-ism', and for some reason could never be bothered to look at the evidence. It's just bizarre.

"It's still a theory"

Proof that you don't even understand what a scientific theory is. Evolution has more evidence than almost any other theory, aside from quantum mechanics.

But go ahead and walk off a cliff. After all, gravity is 'just a theory'. So is relativity. And Quantum mechanics. And plate tectonics. rofl.

I know you haven't looked at the evidence because you say there isn't enough. You'll never be able to finish looking at all the evidence, you'd have to dedicate your life to one small field just to see all the evidence for evolution that exists in that field, let alone the dozens of others.

rofl.


BTW, debating anything like evolution, science, gun control, or foreign policy on the Warlight forums has absolutely no productivity other than enjoying a discussion.

I'm curious though, should we also teach children that sickness is caused by demons? That the earth is flat? That comets are signs from the gods that disaster is approaching? Serious question.

I've said it once, I've said it again : I'm not for Creationism and I'm not for Evolution. Both are stupid, narrow-minded explanations as to why our society exists as it is today.
In my opinion, the matter of where we come from is something incomprehensible, but it is irrelevant. If a good pear comes from Greece, but a good pear comes from Italy also, is one of them suddenly better? Is one of them not a pear? Does a pear suddenly become more than a pear? In much the same way, is one way of us becoming what we are better than the other? We will always argue over these things if discussed, and our opinions and minds will never be changed. I'll say this to you Little Blue : Grow up. People disagree all the time, and people forgive and forget.

P.S.
I am not your stereotypical " stubborn Catholic ". If anything, you should be open-minded being so approving of the theory of evolution. Besides, your theory is irrelevant to disproving religion, because religion can always say God dictated that evolution shall exist. Just stop trying to argue.