August brings us days closer to the ultimatum of the 22nd or 23rd?? The EU by any standard has been exceptionally kind and bending over backwards to subsidise Iranian civilian nuclear technology. I sincerely hope the Clerics of Iran accept the EU’s generous offer in order to create a peacefull solution. The leader’s of my country, unfortunately, are ready to drop bombs.

“The US just cannot understand why people in other countries hate them. ”

Actually as a lifelong resident of this country commited to international cooperation and the spirit of sharing, I can, without a doubt say, you’re wrong. US citizens on the whole don’t give a shit what other countries think about them, it’s the sad truth. I would love it if the US had a stronger sense of collectivism as you imply, we don’t. We are merely swept away with fear by professional public relations tactics. Paraphrasing Condie “Saddam has got a bomb that’s 45 minutes away from the US” bullshit lie, but look at what happens when North Korea launches a missle that should be able to hit Hawaii maybe Alaska, nothing. If the PR apparatus of DC wanted to launch a war against North Korea, it would happen and 60% of the country would back the effort. That’s not collectivism, that’s fear and manipulation. There is no antiwar effort to speak of in our “society.”

“They think it’s ok to mess up countries to be more “safeâ€?. I don’t think that’s making you more safe. I think it’s make the whole world, including the US, less “safeâ€?.

Getting dangerously close to nuclear war.

The US just cannot understand why people in other countries hate them. They think it’s ok to mess up countries to be more “safe”. I don’t think that’s making you more safe. I think it’s make the whole world, including the US, less “safe”.

I’m not saying you should never go to war. But the USA is clearly trigger happy these days. Starting wars unprovoked (Iraq). And so on. That’s wrong.

America, geographically, geopolitically is an abstraction.

You said “There are a lot of reasons why the US is so happy to go to war in foreign countries and tear them apart (the biggest military in the world needs at least some practice), but the fact that they don’t remember what war is like must be one of them,”

I think you’re missing an important part of America’s psche. First we have a veryy significant warrior and religious culture. That may sound silly to a lot of people but military and religious tradition is absolutely woven in the fabric of America’s being. The US also, for better or for worse, has, reluctantly, a savior complex.

You said “In Europe, we had 2 world wars ravage the continent, and somehow, people seem to remember. We always feel that the US has never (recently) known a war on its own land, only in other countries. And really, it’s true: I am in NY now and this doesn’t feel like a country at war. Nobody’s dying. No houses are being blown up.”

Like I said America is an abstraction. Go to Manhattan, Kansas or St. Joseph, Missouri, you might think differently. Culturally speaking Kansas and New york are different. Remember most of us live in suburbs and watch the nightly news and talk, argue, complain, support the war in our homes. Some of us even write our representatives or go out and protest in support or against the current war. I’ll concede democracy is on the decline in the US. pulling a lever, checking a box, or having a march once in a while doesn’t make a democratic society.

But what if houses were blowing up? Do you know that Hezbollah exist’s in the U.S.? Do you think the U.S. would act like Spain, or act proactively like France to avoid conflict? Of course not, the response would be overwhelmingly violent on the sponsors of such acts and Hezbollah knows it. I believe there will be an “Islamic” answer to America’s war with Islam, and it will be nuclear, perhaps in the very city you live in. We have a lot in common with Shi’a, we are a profoundly evangelical society giuded by providence (so we think).

We’re going to attack Irans nuclear facilities before the year is over. This could be another disaster in the making. I wonder how you ,as a European, feel about Iran having nuclear and missle technology capable of reaching your homeland? What would you reccomend the EU do, if Iran refuses to have full disclosure of its nuclear ambitions? Given the current Hitler in office and his zealous overlords, I really wonder what the EU see’s as an end game to this situation? Anythoughts?