i took this from terrorism news- you can check it out there too.
1) Which is the only country in the world to have dropped bombs on over twenty different countries since 1945?
2) Which is the only country to have used nuclear weapons?
3) Which country was responsible for a car bomb which killed 80 civilians in Beirut in 1985, in a botched assassination attempt,.
4) Which country's illegal bombing of Libya in 1986 was described by the UN Legal Committee as a "classic case" of terrorism?
5) Which country rejected the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to terminate its "unlawful use of force" against Nicaragua in 1986, and then vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling on all states to observe international law?
6) Which country was accused by a UN-sponsored truth commission of providing "direct and indirect support" for "acts of genocide" against the Mayan Indians in Guatemala during the 1980s?
7) Which country unilaterally withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in December 2001?
8) Which country renounced the efforts to negotiate a verification process for the Biological Weapons Convention and brought an international conference on the matter to a halt in July 2001?
9) Which country prevented the United Nations from curbing the gun trade at a small arms conference in July 2001?
10) Aside from Somalia, which is the only other country in the world to have refused to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?
11) Which is the only Western country which allows the death penalty to be applied to children?
12) Which is the only G7 country to have refused to sign the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, forbidding the use of landmines?
13) Which is the only G7 country to have voted against the creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998?
14) Which was the only other country to join with Israel in opposing a 1987 General Assembly resolution condemning international terrorism?
15) Which country refuses to fully pay its debts to the United Nations yet reserves its right to veto United Nations resolutions?
The answer to each question is .... ? The United States Of America
16 comments:
Makes you proud, doesn't it?
I feel so ashamed of how I thought our Nation, the United States of America, was so good and benevolent only to find out the truths about our involvement and hand in war and conquest.
The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I am allowed, at least so far, to speak my mind and try to change it, but alas, even the voting booth seems to have its problems.
Time to think. Time to be bold and courageous.
thank you for your sentiments. we do have much to be proud for- but we also have to remember that we are not without flaws. working to try and change these flaws- is what will make this nation a place to truly be proud of.
Yep, the old USA isn't perfect. But what country is? I'm sorry, but I have to ask, what country would you rather live in?
The car bomb in Beirut was allegedly attributed to Isreal and its "allies".
The United States withdrew its support for the Guatemalan government because of its abuse of human rights. So the regime in power was responsible for the killing of Mayan Indians.
In order for the US to vote yes for the UN to "curb the gun trade at a small arms conference July 2001" the second amendment, The Right to Bear Arms, would have been jeopardized. South Africa and other countries also spoke against this. The real issue was illegal gun trade, and every nation said that if this had been the primary goal, it would have been acceptable. But, illegal gun trade goes on everyday.
Just because one web site says its so, doesn't mean they have all the facts.
The bottom line to me is if you don't like this country, then everyone has the right to leave it.
If you were living in Iran or North Korea and listed those governments bad points, you would be dead hours after you posted the lists.
You should feel better about the United States knowing that you can speak against this government and still go about your life, unharmed.
A very selective listing of American history, and most of it to incite the anti-war sentiment... and thats ok.
Some of the items on that list are factual, yet some (like our refusal of joining an Internatinal Court) are not as clear cut. I doubt people in this Country have read what doing that particular action would have meant for our legal sovereignty. Few people delve into the minutia of the detail,.. to them, the headline is the important thing...
But I cede to the major point that yes, we are not without sin. Having said that, I can make a ten-fold list of what the United States has done on its own merit to make the world a better place.
Selective reasoning and selective lists do nothing more than propell the argument on the table, it is not a barometer of objective judgement to a Country's contribution to mankind.
So be it,... I'm done defending my land. Keep pounding away. America the beautiful is also America the pissed with itself.
always like to spark debate. i guess i just wanted everyone to know the warts with the good. no- there isn't any other country that i would rather live in- but i think that as great a country as it is- it can be better. we can't just see the nationalistic, nostalgic stuff. we have real problems here that need to be addressed. again, it comes down to balance. we need to balance all of the great stuff we have done- but not be afraid to admit that we have also done some pretty crappy things. i don't necessarily agree with the strident, narrowed view of the lists i post. i just want to make a point and spark debate- which i have. thanks to all for your honesty.
we seem to have a good vs evil theme going on here today. i just want to go on record as saying that not every country on this planet looks at us as a beneveolent entity. yes- we have done good things and continue to do so. that doesn't make us good and others evil. just as there are many examples of other countries doing evil things- so have we. internment camps, human experimenting on people of color- and our own troops, genocide of idigenous peoples, enslaving millions of people, selling arms to "evil" dictator in "evil" nations- you get the point. the amount of bad stuff that is 'classified' could be endless and we only know the good stuff because that is what we are fed. yes, we love our country- but we must love it knowing that we have faults. it isn't as simple as good vs evil.
"Telling people to "leave" because they complain is extremely opposed to the spirit of the United States." I have to disagree. One of our great freedoms is that we can choose to live anywhere we want. We can move to another country. We do not need permission to move. And if freedom isn't the spirit of America, then what is?
Everyone can site something this nation has done that not everyone approves of. But, this is our country, and either we support it, or we don't. Standing up for your rights is more than siting all the perceived wrong-doings of our country. It means making your grievances known to the very senators and congressmen we have voted into office. It means recognizing that we have these freedoms because a select few laid down their lives to protect these freedoms.
As for the vote, the last two elections were won because not enough people communitcated their outrage. No election in this country has been without its questionable activities. Just look at the election of John F. Kennedy, and you might be surprised.
And, of course, this administration is on the way out. If you recall, Clinton was impeached during the final years of his term in office. We have a wonderful history of bashing the out-going administration.
And, I do believe that if you are not going to work toward change, and are not happy with the policies of this nation, you do have the option to leave.
I guess I am compelled to speak out a bit again. Just as many think this or that is exactly why I am allowed to think shame when I see my country starting a war like they have done in Iraq. The cold war went on for years with USSR for example, no shots were fired.
As a Veteran, I want to think I fought for all of you to have your own opinion and be able to express it. If this is not what we bled for and watched our brothers die for, then it was worthless.
The statements telling people to "love it or leave it" are pure bullshit. In America, if you don't love what the leaders are doing, you have the right to do what you can via demonstrations and the written word etc to change it, you don't have to leave.
I'm offended by someone suggesting that if I don't like the war we're involved in, then I can leave. That would mean accept it or say it is good and shut up.
I'm ashamed that we attacked another country and killed thousands of inocents. I want those responsible for what I feel are horrible decisions to be out of office as soon as possible.
Yes, America has done many things to make the world a better place over the years. Yes, many countries have similar and some worse problems. And I choose to live here and try to change what I don't like. I won't sit back and say war is OK because America is a greatest country on the planet.
i am not sure that i understand the debate here. this country is not perfect. it is a work in progress. the way that you work towards change is: you identify the problem; you talk about solutions; you work towards the goals- and things get better. the problem that we have is that we are bogged down in the debates as to how to reach a solution. one party doesn't think that there is a problem and the other does. it doesn't mean that the folks who think that there is a problem should be factored out of the equation. this country was established for the people by the people- not for the republicans by the republicans. this country was started by people who were disenfranchised by the status quo- who were men of action and later soldiers who fought to defend this fledgling country. the constitution was built through compromise and more compromise between states who didn't want to work together. what the hell is the problem in the 21st century?
I am just pointing out that not living in this country is an option. I don't consider my views to be bullshit. And because I disagree with some of the statements made does not mean that I don't understand the concerns. I also have as much right to express my opinions as anyone else. I respect Betmo for allowing me to do this.
Sorry Deb, but the "you can leave if you don't like it line" doesn't come across as an innocent reminder of fact. It is most often used in the context of "you're either with us or against" us rhetoric, which you also employed.
WERE you simply expressing a rational and informed opinion, it would merit the respect of reasonable people. What you did, however, was make emotional and inflammatory appeals in order to manipulate the discussion. Different story.
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