From: jfe@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu (Brian Chung)
Subject: Re: <Why I was in army) Re: Service in Korea
Organization: Alchemy International
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 06:20:08 GMT

In article <8783@dirac.physics.purdue.edu> bark@bohr.physics.purdue.edu (Bark Kwangyl) writes:
>In article <1992Nov19.224839.20716@tc.cornell.edu> jfe@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu (Brian Chung) writes:
>
>>	To me, your logic is that of a Cold War warrior who just cannot
>>face the reality that the communism is dead and we are entering a new era.
>>(How's that for a comeback?)  So, why is that nobody intimidates Japan and
>>Germany?  It certainly isn't their military strength.  What's even worse,
>>you actually propose increasing military spending to defend from China?
>>Here is a better plan.  Increase our foreign aid and foreign investment
>>in China.  Help China stabilize economy.  A stable country has no reason
>                                           ------------------------------
>>to invade any country.  And with this plan, we actually get something
>----------------------
>>besides peace; we get a huge market.
>
>I know you, Brian, are very smart. I know you read many history books
>as you claimed. But, you seems like made a little mistake above.
>Let me just remind you that your beloved alliance America has the
>most stable economy in the world but participated in most of the  wars big and 
>small since WW1.  Was Panama a threat to America's economy? Vietnam, too?

	America has the most stable economy in the world?  I suppose that's
why the voters booted Bush out of the office, eh?  The economy is so stable
that they needed someone who can screw it up.  But that's not the main
point.  The main point is whether an economically stable country would start
a war.  First of all, you do have to admit, a country whose economy is in
shambles is a lot more likely to start a war than a country whose economy
is a lot more stable.  There are other factors involved in this, of course.
For example, no matter how unstable Cuban economy is, Cuba would never 
invade the United States.  But when you have a semi-superpower like
China, it's a different matter.  If China believes that starting a war
with Korea and Japan is the only way to survive in times of economic 
crisis, they just might go for it.  (This decision will also depend on 
whether China thinks the United States will enter the war or not.)  Now, then,
why did the United States, with its stable economy, invaded other countries?
There are two reasons.  First, containment.  This accounts for all the wars
against communist countries, like Vietnam and North Korea.  Second, 
America's responsibility as the superpower and the world's policeman.  This
accounts for most of the wars that were waged against non-communist countries,
like Iraq, Panama, etc.  Like it or not, the United States truly
felt that it had a responsibility to the rest of the global community to
act as a policeman.  So there was a dictator in Panama, who was a drug
dealer and suppressing democracy, and the United States had to remove him.
Now, containment is an obsolete ideal, so we can disregard that.  Second,
are there any other country who feels such a great responsibility towards
the rest of the world?  I really cannot think of any.  I hope I answered
your question, Kwangyl.
 
>>	You have my respect for helping to defend our country in times
>>of crisis.  But please, your time is over.  It's time for us, the younger
>>generation to take your place.  It's time to change.
>
>You proclaime that crisis is over! 
>Oh! my goodness! The great prophet Brian!
>Sounds like the fanatics of October  92 who claimed the world is over.

	The following is a personal flame in response to Kwangyl's
personal flame.  If you do not wish to read a flame, press "skip" now.


I'm warning you.  It really is nothing more than a flame.

Okay, Kwangyl, I'm claiming the world is over...for you.  Your little
Marxist world is dead.  As dead as disco and Freddie Mercury.  Even your
great country, Soviet Union no longer exists, and what's left of it is
begging Korea and the rest of the capitalist world for economic aid.  And
China is doing just about the same.  So let's see.  That leaves North Korea,
with your Great Leader, Cuba with a man who's going to croak from lung cancer
pretty soon, and few insignificant Indochinese countries.  Well, if you
are going to renounce communism and convert over to Stalinism-Juche of
North Korea, then it's your choice.  But I'm telling you, your ideology
is now only an intellectual curiosity and no more.  >


-- 
T. H. Brian Chung                      | Happiness is...              
Internet: jfe@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu   | "Tea, Earl Grey, hot."
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