I was genuinely scared by their conviction that Europe can't protect themselves from ISIS because the old alliances have been destroyed by 'bloated welfare states' who can't protect them anymore. It's as if that US has to invade Syria, destroy ISIS and get out. Haven't they learned a single thing from 9/11?
No, they really haven't and you really have to wonder why? The UK has CLEARLY backed off from it all, a lot is due to public opinion, and I think the politicians have learned a lot too, and the rest of Europe seems to have backed away from it all to a certain extent. I think we have all learned from it and have lost the desire for war, and realised how futile it all is/was and are trying to find other ways to combat it. The trouble is an awful lot of Americans haven't and don't see it that way. Ironically I don't think we are doing enough at the moment, but bombing sure as feck isn't the answer.
Obama had it pretty much spot on, yes he has made mistakes, but on a whole he has been very diplomatic and definitely reached out to lots of countries (Iran and Cuba just 2 examples) and is getting panned by the Republicans for it. His middle east policy has been absolutely slated by them. Now, you have to wonder why? Is it arrogance? Do these guys really believe it's America's job to sort all this and they are the only ones who can? Is it ignorance? Not understanding the problems properly? Is it financially led interests and they want to take the worlds oil, and set up businesses and create and empower their governments in the middle east? Is it historical regret and they want to defeat those that others haven't before? Is it just plain stupidity? Or a combination of all of it?
Take Russia for example, you can absolutely guarantee if Cruz or Trump had been in charge during the takeover of Crimea, the USA would be at war with Russia now, or the world would be, or there wouldn't be a world left. The same with the Iran deal, that would never have happened and they hate it, absolutely hate it! The same with Syria, they would have bombed the living shit out of it, and been at war with Russia and China because of it. I honestly don't think i'm exaggerating saying any of that. If Cruz or Trump had been in charge the last 8 years, well things would be a shitload different, and not in a good way.
No they haven't learned a thing, and that's the main reason why I take so much interest in the US elections. It doesn't affect me if Americans don't have free healthcare or education, I just want them to because it's fair and right and despite the rhetoric against it, it can and does work and I don't like the attitude against it, or the thought of people suffering when they don't have to. I also have lots of friends and families in the States that are affected by it. Their gun laws don't affect me either I just don't agree with them. But their foreign policy does and can and in a big way. I lost friends in Iraq and Afghanistan, and have friends in the military and ultimately it is civilians that are getting blown up in London, Paris, Brussels, Turkey, Egypt etc,and where will it all end? Nuclear war? It's really scary and who the Americans put in the White House is such an important decision it affects every single person on this planet. That's why although all this election stuff is funny, it actually really isn't.
I don't think I could... she's 59. But I admire your determination.