Anger is a gift (Happy 3rd Anniversary!)

[The Shadoe]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

"Read a political science textbook"?

Only one?

Uhm, okay. Circa 1977 was the first. Since then, I've lost track how many. And that's just textbooks. I've also read a plethora of political and historical biographies, which imho are far more valuable than any dry textook. I've lived a fair amount of time, and seen a lot- a lot that you've maybe only read about. Don't believe the rhetoric, Shadoe- that's ignorance. Investigate and look at all possible sides before you form such strong opinions. Don't let other people make them for you, just because they use big words and know important people. No one is infallible, and everyone has an agenda. Find out what it is, and if you can live with it and all it's ramifications, then go for it. But you had better be able to back it up, and not with anything by Ms. Ingraham. She's just too much like that snotty co-ed from Animal House. (shudder).

Oh, and from Mirriam-Webster Online:
imperialism

One entry found for imperialism.
Main Entry: im·pe·ri·al·ism
Pronunciation: im-'pir-E-&-"li-z&m
Function: noun
1 : imperial government, authority, or system
2 : the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas; broadly : the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence <union imperialism>
- im·pe·ri·al·ist /-list/ noun or adjective
- im·pe·ri·al·is·tic /-"pir-E-&-'lis-tik/ adjective
- im·pe·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly /-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb

I read many newspapers, blogs, talk shows, etc. I like to sample a wide variety of opinions and viewpoints. I do not form my viewpoints just because Laura Ingraham happens to say it. She has been the person who I gravitate towards because my beliefs are generally in line with hers.

I have a great political science professor who has taught me more than any other professor I have had. He's absolutely brilliant.

And in general, I end up leaning towards the conservatives on most issues? Why? Because in general they offer up substance. Not just rhetoric, but actual substance. I find it difficult to back many of the liberal positions on issues where in the end they had egg smeared in their face because of all the foul-drawl that is put forward. It seems like their bigger agenda is to attack Republicans. They have no plan, no strategy. Chuck Schumer and "San Fran Nan" have even admitted this. Articles have been written about it. I certainly can't back people with no plan (or if a plan is offered, it's pie-in-the-sky, like Murtha's).

And the dictionary definition you posted proves that America is not imperialistic.

1. We are not an empire. I beg of you to find any trace of colonies.
2. We haven't taken over Iraq to make "territorial acquisitions". And we aren't imposing our power in the sense that we don't have control over the politics. To the economy, some extent. But by and large, the Iraqis are voting on their own and establishing the economy on their own. We are nudging them in the right direction. We're not looking to dominate Iraq.

By the very definition of imperialism which you have provided, we are not imperialistic. My prof went into great detail one lecture about how the United States doesn't fit the requirements of being imperialistic when I took his International Relations course last year. This year he went on a tirade about how simple minded the people who say that Bush is like Hitler after a student went and said that to him. That incident occured over three weeks ago, and he still gets riled up about it.