Do Americans always NEED an enemy (enemies)?! Sure seems so.?

Question

How sad is that?!

Answer 1

No, but enemies chose us, because we're so much better. But what you don't see on TV is that America is actually helping Iraq...

Answer 2

In my opinion, yes because it is a mechanism used to control the population.

The average US citizen isn't the most informed on international happenings and tend to look inwards a lot, knowing a hell of a lot about local and national events.

Which means that they are looking for someone to slip up, or something similar. However, to have an enemy outside of their borders, someone everybody says is really mean and dangerous will polarize the population.

Once there is an established enemy like Osama, Saddam, Al-Sadr, terrorists, North Korea, Iran or what have you, news channels will start telling more about those established enemies. But with limited time and ressources, it can draw fire away from the scandals and screw-ups back home.

And politically, if a leader is seen to understand the outside threat and shares the same concerns as the people, he's instantly in a good position to be re-elected.

Answer 3

It just goes with the territory. As for bubbles_grandpa, USA attacked Iraq first, not the other way around. There's no connection between Iraq, Saddam and 9/11. If USA wanted to truly do something about it, they would have declared war on the two countries most responible, Saudi Arabia, where 15 of the 19 suspects were from, and Pakistan, where the Taliban were from, and they were fully supported by the Musharraf government. The reason USA didn't attack those nations was because they are supposedly US allies in the fight against terrorism, even though both countries have ties to Islamic fundamentalist terrorists.
That is fact.

Answer 4

It is always easy to criticise America, but I think, and I'm not American that those countries and individuals who are ever ready to criticise America never do anything concrete themselves when the **** hits the fan, if you'll excuse my language, but prefer being bystanders full of rhetoric. They should look at the state of their own countries and people, the kind of government they have in place before blaming America for all that is wrong with their own country. If they don't like America then they should concentrate on becoming self sufficient, then they won't have to ask anyone to sort out their problems. Do you seriously think that someone is going to give something for nothing.
I agree, it would seem so, that America needs enemies, but then again, most countries have an enemy.

Answer 5

Not the American people I think but the policy makers who are influenced by external factors do end up having some! For example, the entire Islamic world has developed a hatred towards America since 9/11 and the actions that followed it!

Answer 6

So you say we need enemies. Last I heard we were attacked first. Why do you blame the U.S. for everything wrong in the world? Get a life. If you live here and think the States is so bad, use your freedom of choice and MOVE OUT. If you do not live in the States, use your freedom of choice and STAY OUT.

Answer 7

Know anything about primate species?
Enemies are part of competition, part of life.
Even before population explosion, before crazy mudslides, hurricanes, and typhoons took so many people out at one shot,
before the industrial revolution,
before the Bible began,
before humans began,
there was economic competetion.
Where there is an in-group, there is an out-group.
If we can't even have families who don't have cliques or arguments at Thanksgiving, how do we expect the whole world to operate as one unit?

Answer 8

War of 1812 attacked, Spanish American Attacked, WW1 Atacked, WW2 Attacked, Korea asked by the UN, Vietnam Asked by the South Viets after failure by the French, Gulf 1 eh!maybe, Afgan attacked, Gulf 2 eh maybe again

Answer 9

America is always a target due to being a world leader. All our "enemies" are basically tin-horn dictators that we WILL defeat, just like all those that tried before!

Answer 10

As I see it we Americans need a women president because maybe we would not be so much like little boys that cant turn down a good fight. Women are more likely to talk about the problems and not use our armed forces to solve our differences. That is what is in my heart thanks for letting me speak. Darlene

Answer 11

Americans? No. U.S. politicians... sometimes (if they're in trouble and need to change the public's focus). Republican politicians, yes, all the time, especially while looting the national treasury. It's valuable to have a distraction, and nothing works better than over-hyping a threat.