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ORIGINAL: meatcleaver
Georgia's problems started when they started murdering Russian citizens and thinking the US would come to its aid if necessary.
 

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ORIGINAL: Aneirin

What if the west laid down it's arms in countries where it is involved and showed the people of that country another side of the west, the caring side, what do you think would be the result ?
I think we'd become less powerful and more respected, which is a form of power, though readily depleted if not cared for.

Do you think with our vast reserves of expertise and equipment, we could be doing something better than killing ?
I think we as a species probably don't need any more sophisticated killing methods, so shifting 90% of that entire budget to something worthwhile that could deter conflict would be a better survival strategy than enhancing our ability to kill each other more efficiently. So, yes, as there is absolutely no reason a single person on this planet is starving, or without heating. I was just reading about in India, they are building holes that gather household shit, and pig shit, and produce methane for cooking, and highly enriched fertilizer, for virtually no cost out of locally available materials. This stops people from cutting all the trees down, which stop erosion, which saves like 2 hours a day from gathering wood, and decreases exposure to pollution. A 100,000 strong army specializing in building such things could turn a nation from poverty to at least human living conditions in short order, but we prefer to blow shit up. Lovely.

If we adopted this role as the caring west, do you think we could make the world a better place ?
Humans are designed to either build or destroy, we can be fulfilled doing either, one path is non-constructive the other defines what is necessary to advance. Advancement is in my mind virtually equivalent to goodness. Destruction is generally evil unless destroying means of destruction. We could in a few decades if we chose radically change for the good the whole planet.

Why are we so aggressive ?
Fear, legitimate threat, power lust, ignorance, paranoia, delusion, ego, history, manipulation, desperation. Ultimately I think a bit of aggression and lust to destroy and control is hard wired into all of us. It's the lack of admitting we have these flaws that keeps us from rising above them, that whole thing jesus talked about and sin, we are all born with the desire to sin, admitting it is the only way to resist it. Never trust anyone that says they don't have sinful thoughts, as that is the person, nation, group, that is wallowing in its own perverse motivations. Perfection is a myth. Women fart, Men want their balls licked.

So, to answer you question why are we so aggressive? It's because we can't let go of the concept that we are above it all, and thus ignore data to the contrary as an aggregate group. This denial of aggression, allows aggression to be maintained. As long as you can convince the populace(enough of them anyway) they are peaceful, and good, and the government is a reflection of their superior character then nothing will be done to stop impossible aggression.

I think its broad based promoted mental illness. Look at N. Korea, to see the power of group think, and blunt manipulation. While that is an extreme example much subtler examples occur everywhere.

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ORIGINAL: lronitulstahp

i think it's interesting that the OP referred to "The West", and several here have responded only about why "The U.S can't do ________".   

It's like having a conversation with a self-obsessed person sometimes....mayhaps the xenophobes run amok.

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ORIGINAL: Aneirin

What if the west laid down it's arms in countries where it is involved and showed the people of that country another side of the west, the caring side, what do you think would be the result ?

Do you think with our vast reserves of expertise and equipment, we could be doing something better than killing ?

If we adopted this role as the caring west, do you think we could make the world a better place ?

Why are we so aggressive ?

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As for our aggression, we aren't that far removed from chimps running around the jungle clubbing each other for food and females.

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Short answer, humans are top level predators, our eyes face forward and we have long canines. We evolved from apes and early homids that used agression for territorial disputes, hunting and obtaining breedable females.

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To quote Chomsky "If you want to stop terrorism, stop participating in it."

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ORIGINAL: corysub

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ORIGINAL: Aneirin

What if the west laid down it's arms in countries where it is involved and showed the people of that country another side of the west, the caring side, what do you think would be the result ?

Do you think with our vast reserves of expertise and equipment, we could be doing something better than killing ?

If we adopted this role as the caring west, do you think we could make the world a better place ?

Why are we so aggressive ?

Don't agree with the premise of the comment "why are we so aggressive".  What country in the West has built an Empire since WW2.  Why aren't there liberal threads attacking Russia for it's incursions and threats? 

The USA. You don't need troops on the ground to controlnations and commerce, Britain proved that.
 

England looked the other way, and people were enslaved by Nazi Germany.

Er. The USA did. It was Britain that declared war on Germany!!!!!

The west looked away, put there arms away, and Russia enslaved half of Europe.

No it didn't, it couldn't do anything about it.

The West looked away, and Communists took over China...

China had a revolution, much of the instability in China that led up to the revolution was first caused by the west, followed by Japan and then the west again.

The West looked away, and North Korea attacked South Korea

It was a civil war. Only fools get involved by taking sides in an internal conflict.

The West looked away, and we saw the killing fields of Cambodia

The USA bombed Cambodia to kingdom come and back and caused the conditions that allowed the Khmer Rouge to take over.

The West looked away, and Iraq attacked Kuwait,

Kuwait was a dictatorship every bit as much as Iraq and the US gave Iraq a nod a wink that it could take over Kuwait. In the mean time, the US changed its mind about its Iraqi alie.

The West looked away, and half of Africa is in turmoil,

The west (Britain France et al) that caused the turmoil in Africa.

What would happen if we put down arms and looked away?

No one is saying anyone should put down their arms and look the other way. It is a matter of not using them for imperial jollies.

The West looked away, and the Soviet Empire re-emerged stronger, with the scars
of the past healed stronger than the original flesh..

Huh? Its never re-emerged!

The West looked away, and the middle east is in flames after the Iranian attack on Israel.

Huh? What Iranian attack on Israel?

The West looked away, and Muslim radical finally take over Manila, after 25 years of terrorism.

?????

The West looked away, and the Turkish democracy is overthrown for an Iranian style of Theocracy...

When?

The West looked away and radical Muslims eliminate all conservative opposition and take over Indonesia..

86% of Indonesians just happen to be Muslim and Indonesis is the world's largest muslim state.

Sorry...but the world is not "Alice in Wonderland"  or that cute little place in the "Wizard of Oz".  It's not a nice place and only the strength of a powerful military
will allow our way of life to continue as Europeans discovered not too many years ago.

I think you are in Wonderland

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ORIGINAL: Marc2b

To quote Marc2b, "if you want to stop being an idiot, stop reading Chomsky."

Okay, okay... I’m sorry I called you an idiot... but every time somebody references or quotes that moronic, hate filled, dipshit... it irks me.

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And just what is moronic about the sentiment that if you want to stop terrorism you should stop participating in it?

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I know he isn't liked in America,

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America can't take serious criticism from its own citizens.

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ORIGINAL: Marc2b

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And just what is moronic about the sentiment that if you want to stop terrorism you should stop participating in it?

Setting aside the whole argument of what constitutes terrorism, it is simply daft to believe that non-violence will automatically result in reciprocation. History has bitch slapped that silly notion time and time again.

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Terrorism exists in the middle east because of constant western interference.

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Western violence gave birth to middle eastern violence

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ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

Terrorism exists in the middle east because of constant western interference.

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ORIGINAL: ScooterTrash

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ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

Terrorism exists in the middle east because of constant western interference.

MC, I think historically the Middle East had folks running after each other with clubs and swords, centuries before outside interference. I suspect left alone, they would just fight with each other....or isn't that kind of what they are still doing, even under occupation?