Cyprus-Forum.com

[IcyNoAngel]

I can bet that usa will never get into a war with israel. why? you go figure it out.

[Mills Chapman]

I'm not an old hippy who wanders round with flowers in my hair, but this forum is filled with aggressive discussion and threats, threads describing military hardware, etc so it is useful to remember that we should all be aspiring to making the world a more peaceful place.

Good point, Talisker. Something is better than nothing. In the USA government, there is a Department of War, but there is no Department of Peace.

I think I was just tired of people kicking the USA. Sure we have made mistakes (I'm American), but I don't think the world would have been happier with China, Iran, or Zimbabwe or even the USSR trying to shape things their way. I'm a peace-oriented person, but the most powerful country of the times is going to shape the world their way, and the negatives with the USA I think are not as bad as they would be with a more authoritarian and racist nation (ie, China). Would China have gone into Somalia to deliver food when folks are starving and shooting at the helicopters? We're far from innocent, but others would have been more guilty.

I'll be the first to say that the USA needs to do a much, much better job of being even-handed in their treatment of the Israelis and Palestinians.

[Get Real!]

I'm not an old hippy who wanders round with flowers in my hair, but this forum is filled with aggressive discussion and threats, threads describing military hardware, etc so it is useful to remember that we should all be aspiring to making the world a more peaceful place.

The need for countries to arm themselves to the max emanates from aggressive post WWII American foreign policy than from any other factor, and countries like Iran would’ve been happy in their “Aladdin” world if it were not for that.

[Get Real!]

I can bet that usa will never get into a war with israel. why? you go figure it out.

If it were not for the US there would be no Israel, in the past or in the present.

[EPSILON]

Which nation is, pro rata, the most peaceful on earth

As much as weaker a Nation is against the other side so more peaceful is?

Therefore Cyprus (Geek Side) is the most peaceful nation (nation?) in earth.

[purdey]

Right in a sense GR. Put it another way though. If it was not for the Jews in America there would be no Israel. They wave a big stick in the USA.

[Filitsa]

USA should probably be the last one, as they are constantly at war with someone for the last 60 years.

L.E. sorry, my fault, last 80 years.

Hello IcyNoAngel,

The U.S. is indeed far from utopic, but I'll wager that much of its involvement in wars over the "last 80 years" - with a few exceptions - has laid a foundation for many to experience peace in their lives.

[Talisker]

I'm not an old hippy who wanders round with flowers in my hair, but this forum is filled with aggressive discussion and threats, threads describing military hardware, etc so it is useful to remember that we should all be aspiring to making the world a more peaceful place.

Good point, Talisker. Something is better than nothing. In the USA government, there is a Department of War, but there is no Department of Peace.

I think I was just tired of people kicking the USA. Sure we have made mistakes (I'm American), but I don't think the world would have been happier with China, Iran, or Zimbabwe or even the USSR trying to shape things their way. I'm a peace-oriented person, but the most powerful country of the times is going to shape the world their way, and the negatives with the USA I think are not as bad as they would be with a more authoritarian and racist nation (ie, China). Would China have gone into Somalia to deliver food when folks are starving and shooting at the helicopters? We're far from innocent, but others would have been more guilty.

I'll be the first to say that the USA needs to do a much, much better job of being even-handed in their treatment of the Israelis and Palestinians.

Mills, I wanted to support you on the role of the USA in the world in general terms. So checked out a good source of information for confirmation and to provide this support.

This is an interesting, and surprising, read:
http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Debt/USAid.asp

I'd always known that the USA provides more foreign aid than any other country (21.2 billion dollars in 2007). However, if this is calculated as net Overseas Development Aid as percent of Gross National Income then the US comes bottom of the list of 22 countries for whom data is provided. Interestingly, the top of this chart coincides almost directly with those calculated to be the most 'peaceful' (the original topic of this thread).
http://www.visionofhumanity.com/rankings/

A study of 'Quality-adjusted aid and charitable giving as percent of GDP' in 2002 found the following:



I wondered if I was being naive if I thought the reason the US is so low in these lists is because of the amount it spends on the military. I found the following information about military spending at:
http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade.asp

The highest spender is the US, reaching some $700 billion per year.
This is almost as much as the rest of the world.
It is more than the rest of the G7 countries (most economically advanced counties), combined
It also spends more than all of its potential enemies combined.

So, unfortunately my attempt to support the USA has only uncovered further criticisms. I take your point that China, Russia, et al would probably be no more preferable as 'most influential country on the planet', but I do wish the US became less self-interested and a little more generous. Sorry, tried my best to support - and failed!

Well done the 'peaceful' nations - peaceful and generous!