Should the US go after China, and the other 'axis of evil' countries?

Question

Just curious on your thoughts about this. I'm writing an article for a political magazine on this topic, and was curious as to what the greater population thoughts were. For those that may not know by the quote from Pres. Bush in his state of the union address in 2002, the 'axis of evil' countries are Iran, Iraq and North Korea. Obviously we are in Iraq now, but should we pursue the other three afore mentioned countries or stop the fighting all together?

Just curious on your thoughts about this. I'm writing an article for a political magazine on this topic, and was curious as to what the greater population thoughts were. For those that may not know by the quote from Pres. Bush in his state of the union address in 2002, the 'axis of evil' countries are Iran, Iraq and North Korea. Obviously we are in Iraq now, but should we pursue the other three afore mentioned countries or stop the fighting all together?

Should I mention that I am against the war? I do not think we, as Americans, have any right to wage war on others in this. I was simply asked to write an article on thoughts.

Should I mention that I am against the war? I do not think we, as Americans, have any right to wage war on others in this. I was simply asked to write an article on thoughts. Also, the question may be a bit confusing...China isn't listed as an 'axis of evil' country. It was simply mentioned apart in another speech by someone, but the name and time I can't remember at the moment.

Answer 1

Please, I only want to say this once. We and China are involved. Billions in trade, commercial, military, science of all types. We (them and us) are not going to survive by attacking each other. We need them, they need us. Who cares if they are communist, means nothing, just a label. They are great capitalists. They hold Russia's southern border. We like their food. We like them. We've never had a war with them, just a border skirmish in N' Korea. Killed off some of the mean ones, and we have lots to talk about. Ask B Clinton.

Answer 2

I understand that you are 'looking into' the issue rather than looking to provoke a reaction here. I'd suggest that a starting point might not be what we should or shouldn't do, but instead to get back to basics and ask 'what does this phrase axis of evil actually mean anyway?'

You'd have to understand it in a political context of course, and an 'axis' presumably means an alliance or at least some shared characteristic. But what is 'evil' in this context? Anti-democratic? Militaristic? Oppressive? Aggressive? Use Terror as a State Policy? These are good starting points, and with a bit of expansion would provide a good 'political' definition. So this bit is quite easy.

What you then need to ask is why some countries are 'in' the axis of evil and others are not. For instance Zimbabwe fits all of the above criteria (as do a great many African nations, and a few Asian ones in addition to North Korea). So the real 'definition' comes by comparing those that are 'in' and those that are 'out' of the list. You might conclude that the ones that are included are those that threaten the interests of the United States. That makes it a little more 'subjective' than the notion that some folk are evil and others are not, but if you perceive them to be evil 'to you' then that's fair enough, but stay with me.

What are the 'US interests' that each of these countries in the axis of evil threaten? And which places like Zimbabwe don't threaten? And curiously once you start looking at 'interest' (eg benefits) you open up the question 'are there in fact things that these countries do - or could do - that might be of benefit to the United States?' For instance, Iran and North Korea are located on the Border of two of our 'competitors' in the world power game. Surely they should (or could) be a greater 'pain' to those countries than they are to us. So why are we doing all the 'suffering' and 'worrying', why aren't the Russians (who fear Islamic nationalism) and the Iranians (who hated communism and now compete with the Russians for oil revenue) at each others throats? Or take the North Koreans, who have been at war with the Chinese for thousands of years (on the losing side). Why are the Chinese their only 'friends' in the world and we their enemy? Or take Iraq, once our ally in the Middle East, and now such a fractured country that we even our friends there are allied with our enemies?.

One explanation is that in the days of the cold war there was an enemy, and Reagan played that game brilliantly and won. In the mixed up world that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union (the other 'policeman' in the world), it became a far more difficult job to work out who your friends and enemies were. My view is that the US has been - as they say - 'played as a sucker' by folks in the remnant of the Soviet Union and in China who are very happy to see the US embroiled in trouble up to their eyeballs while China and a resurgent Russia build and rebuild their economies. Because they know - as someone famously said - "it's the economy, stupid." That's not conspiracy theory, that's international politics as developed and carried out over the centuries by civilizations as diverse (and successful) as the Venetians, Byzantines and Chinese.

Answer 3

Attacking China would be the worst decision ever. China boasts one of the most disciplined military forces in the world and their numbers are staggering. They certainly have the economy to go to war. China is not a part of the "Axis of Evil" and because we import many goods from China, it would be a horrible decision.

Furthermore, attacking the rest of the countries in the above mentioned "Axis of Evil" is inappropriate. George W. Bush now knows that he shouldn't ask for a declaration of war on Iran and North Korea because of the "hunch" of weapons of mass destruction. The only way the United States would attack those countries is if they threw the first punch, so to speak.

Answer 4

Pursuing a line of inquiry like yours in Yahoo! Answers is like throwing chum for piranhas. I'm surprised you haven't gotten more abuse.

Most opposition to the PRC from the States at the moment is in regards to it being a human rights abuser par excellence, not as a geopolitical threat. Here's a good starting point:

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/nj04_smith/opchinahearing.html

Bear in mind that the State Department has not labelled the PRC as a "terror-sponsoring state". Strangely enough, the PRC shares the same aversion to transnational terror groups that the United States does. It just feels free to expand the label "terrorist" to include, for instance, separatist movements whether peaceful or not.

And yes, I understand you are a pacifist. You have made no distinction whatsoever between Afghanistan (essentially a continuation of the Clinton doctrine of intervening in failed states for humanitarian reasons) and Iraq (an out-and-out invasion on geopolitical grounds). You need to reword your question. Of the original "Axis of Evil" countries - Iraq is under occupation, Iran and North Korea are under sanctions pressure (and more). All are being "pursued". If you were conducting a survey, you should have stated something along the lines of:

"We invaded, then occupied Iraq, one of the original "Axis of Evil" powers, since 2003, on the pretext of denying it the use of WMDs. Do you believe we should engage in hostilities with the other two "Axis of Evil" countries, Iran and North Korea, on the same grounds of fighting state-sponsored terrorism and seeking WMDs? North Korea has successfully tested a nuclear device and Iran has continued with a nuclear program despite UN sanctions. Does this merit the use of military force by the United States?"

Good luck with the survey.

Answer 5

I agree with cantcu, we would be foolish to go after China, they all own a geat part of us, Bush has borrow from china to the tune of 300 billion. As for Iran and North Korea, leaved them alone they haven't done any thing to us, it's just the idiot sitting in the whitehouse who thinks he's the emperor of the world, He's a member of the Skull and Bones, and part of there creed is to creat havoc and choas in the world. The Axis of Evil is alive and well sitting in the Whitehouse.

Answer 6

Why go to war with China??? (They are good for business.) They are the only ones who can stop North Korea, and since when were they considered part of or related to the "axis of evil"? We've taken down one of the "axis of evil" countries, and the other two need to be stopped, either through war or diplomacy.

Answer 7

china does nothing wrong to the usa......yes they have taken labor jobs away and a lot of our money is over there, but we are rewarded that with our lavish lifestyles....we had hdtv now with wireless phones and video games with great graphics.....we also have hybrid cars and mp3 players and dvds......the list goes on and on with the high tech gadgets they make and their clothing and manufactured goods are produced so cheaply that we buy them at little out of our pocket.....but we americans do scramble for a good job and we do get laid off and harassed at the workplace, and we do give up and go on disability or welfare cause we are truly lazy and fed up with the way things are.....there are big problems in the usa now with employment, especially with a lot of non usa born citizens living here taking away our taxed employment that helps the tax revenue in the land the employees live in......things will be corrupt like mexico soon because more people will think a job at mcdonalds is a career

Answer 8

As many other people have mentioned, going after China would render the US economy useless as so much of it is dependant on trade and labour coming in from China. As for conflict in other countries - well lets just finish whats been started first hmm? You can't simply leave a country to civil war after leaving it leaderless because you can't handle it.

Answer 9

That's really smart! Axis of evil? We are it!

Stop the fighting as all we have accomplished is a lot of deaths and not even a resolution in Iraq after 4 years of fighting, and not terrorist, Iraqi's!!

You want to pick on China? They could kick our A__? We can't even beat a bunch of ragtags that have no military command at all! I suspect China, who has 2.5 million in their army and could call millions more, could roll over ours quite simpley!

If you want to start a nuclear war we both will be losers!

Answer 10

Your dreaming right? your country couldn't afford to go after the other three, especially China as China has a Huge military.

Better yet, try the realization that if you went after the others you would be starting World War three.

Try the simple fact that you have NO RIGHT! to go after anyone else, and NO CAUSE!

Try and realize that the ONLY way you could do anything about those other countries is to Nuke them out, that would destroy the atmosphere and we will ALL die.

Try thinking about what you are saying and advocating as it is rather DANGEROUS.