Does the USA govt sponsor terrorism?

[elam]

Does the USA government, as military policy, actively sponsor terrorism? According to the world press, even amougst the USA's allies, the answer is a resounding YES! It is no secret and the evidence is incontrovertible!

What got me thinking is that recently I came across an article in a conservative USA newspaper that postulated that the majority of Americans are either disinterested or ignorant of what their government does as long as it doesn't effect them. However, with the threat of terrorism within the USA now apparent, people are now beginning to pay attention to world events. The unfortunate reality (difficulty) for the citizens of the USA is that their news outlets are rigidly controlled and so the news they get is heavily sanitised. The USA advocacy group, Free Press, reports that dissident journalists suddenly find themselves unemployed and unemployable.

In my opinion, the latest stupidity is Obama signing off on the easing of restrictions of arms supply to the jihadists & rebels in Syria. This has got the whole world in an uproar. His 2013 decree allowing armament of these groups was bad enough, common opinion is that, that these actions is what has prolonged the wars in both Syria & Iraq.

[Meh Gerbil]

How will weapons manufacturers make money if there is no war?

[Cow Poke]

...The unfortunate reality (difficulty) for the citizens of the USA is that their news outlets are rigidly controlled and so the news they get is heavily sanitised. ...

Did you type that with a straight face?

[elam]

How will weapons manufacturers make money if there is no war?

Well, they could go back to doing what they did before WW2 = make useful, beneficial objects like cheap farming equipment.

In any case, given the USA often donates equipment to the various groups they favour, it is the American public that is supplying a considerable portion of the armaments industries' profits.

[Cow Poke]

Well, they could go back to doing what they did before WW2 = make useful, beneficial objects like cheap farming equipment.

"Cheap farm equipment"? You must be thinking shovels and hoes instead of tractors, combines and cultivators. And, perhaps you hadn't thought about the fact that "farming equipment" is pretty seasonal.

In any case, given the USA often donates equipment to the various groups they favour, it is the American public that is supplying a considerable portion of the armaments industries' profits.

[elam]

Did you type that with a straight face?

Sure did!!! Though since Trump got elected, and rebel held East Aleppo has largely been defeated I've noticed a dribble of reporting of the real news in the USA's conservative press.

Since October I've had a little project where I read the online news of multiple newspapers of the conservative press from over 12 countries every other day and compare the reports. What I discovered is that the major USA conservative news sites are heavily edited, omitting anything contrary to USA policy. Of course, the radical news groups in the USA are occasionally balanced but, in my observation, bias their reporting to whatever they are promoting. I avoid reading those...

[Cow Poke]

Sure did!!! Though since Trump got elected, and rebel held East Aleppo has largely been defeated I've noticed a dribble of reporting of the real news in the USA's conservative press.

Since Octomber I've had a little project where I read the online news of multiple newspapers of the conservative press from over 12 countries every other day and compare the reports. What I discovered is that the major USA conservative news sites are heavily edited, omitting anything contrary to USA policy. Of course, the radical news groups in the USA are occasionally balanced but, in my observation, bias their reporting to whatever they are promoting. I avoid reading those...

You have just admitted a very serious error. You're only looking at "conservative press". Our MSM is massively liberal, and anybody here can print pretty much anything they want. Your goofy contention that our "news outlets are rigidly controlled and so the news they get is heavily sanitised" is like interstellar stupid. Plus, we got this thing here in the USofA called the internetzweb, invented by Al Gore, that let's anybody look at any news source from anywhere in the galaxy!

Sheeeeesh!

[elam]

"Cheap farm equipment"? You must be thinking shovels and hoes

Nope! Guess you haven't heard of Henry Ford, who made the manufacture of the automobile so cheap that the average family could afford a car, and he did so despite the fact he doubled his employees wages and reduced their work hours.

instead of tractors, combines and cultivators. And, perhaps you hadn't thought about the fact that "farming equipment" is pretty seasonal.

Actually, many farms in my country have year round cropping, alternating crops according to season, or apply mixed farming. Then there is all the implements used in the live stock industries eg: drenching guns.

Guess you are a city slicker and ignorant of all the technology and equipment used in modern farming. In my country farmers are using helicopters (mainly for mustering), drones (for various things), robots, various types of harvester, various types of water systems etc etc

[seanD]

To answer the OP, in a word... yes. MG gave the more simple explanation as to why, which is true. Since communism (or the false threat of communism) is dead, we need a new enemy to justify our insane military spending' preferably an enemy that can never really specifically be defined, thus can never really be defeated. What's also true is keeping the US petrodollar the dominant reserve currency in the global oil trade, which requires controlling the middle east... and that's the more complex explanation.

[Cow Poke]

Nope! Guess you haven't heard of Henry Ford,

Ya know, that kind of "logic" is downright goofy.

who made the manufacture of the automobile so cheap that the average family could afford a car, and he did so despite the fact he doubled his employees wages and reduced their work hours.

Yeah, I'm well aware of that, and it was because he used assembly lines and produced hundreds of thousands of copies using interchangeable parts. Farm equipment isn't mass produced like that, and is much bigger and more complicated.

Actually, many farms in my country have year round cropping, alternating crops according to season, or apply mixed farming. Then there is all the implements used in the live stock industries eg: drenching guns.

wow

Guess you are a city slicker and ignorant of all the technology and equipment used in modern farming.

In my country farmers are using helicopters (mainly for mustering), drones (for various things), robots, various types of harvester, various types of water systems etc etc

OK, smart guy, how many average citizens can afford helicopters? "Cheap farm equipment" indeed.

[elam]

Ya know, that kind of "logic" is downright goofy.

Guess you haven't heard of the Adams tank fiasco, where congress (via legislated military funding) made the army order tanks they didn't want or need to protect employment and hedge off prior investment of both the private and public sectors. The result: the army mothballed most of its tanks. According to your army they are useless in the venues of modern wars (urban, tropics & mountains. Ultimately, orders declined, factories downgraded and mass retrenchments ensured. This is where Henry comes in. He retooled or reorganised production methods both of which required retraining of his employees. It is argued that if the money wasted in building tanks nobody wanted or needed had been deployed into retooling to build heavy equipment then investment and employment would have been maintained.

Yeah, I'm well aware of that, and it was because he used assembly lines and produced hundreds of thousands of copies using interchangeable parts. Farm equipment isn't mass produced like that, and is much bigger and more complicated.

It is no different - chasis, frame, cabin, engine, connectors. Think about the manufacturer of prime loaders not much difference to building a tank. Have you viewed on TV "Megafactories"?

OK, smart guy, how many average citizens can afford helicopters?

In Australia we have farms (we call them stations) that use helicopters & ultra-lites extensively and it is a big market in Oz & internationally that China & others are exploiting.

"Cheapd. : farm equipment" indeelolo:

Military helicopters are expensive but exclude the unnecessary technology & armaments and helicopters are cheap to produce. In fact, in my country you can buy kits that a good mechanic can put together.

You are thinking like an American enclosed in a very small box, which is typical and why the innovation of Japan, Korea & China (and possibly India) will over take the USA in trade. It is happening here in Oz, most of our manufacturing capability has evaporated but our problem has been attracting investment, our innovations are either sold or licensed to overseas corporations.

[elam]

Guess you haven't heard of the Adams tank fiasco...

Correction!

I should have said "Guess you haven't heard of the Abrams tank fiasco..."

Currently designated as "M1A2 Sep" costs in excess of US$8.5 million to manufacture. Weights in excess of 69 tons. Is vulnerable from side & rear.

[Cow Poke]

Guess you haven't heard of ...

This is a really stupid little game you're playing, and I'm not in.

[elam]

This is a really stupid little game you're playing, and I'm not in.

Heh! You started the distraction to apparently avoid addressing the OP. I did an extensive search of Google and could not find a single reference to the scandal in the general news portals. Though I did find editorials in the Washington Times, the Washington Post & the foreign press.

[Meh Gerbil]

In my opinion, the latest stupidity is Obama signing off on the easing of restrictions of arms supply to the jihadists & rebels in Syria. This has got the whole world in an uproar. His 2013 decree allowing armament of these groups was bad enough, common opinion is that, that these actions is what has prolonged the wars in both Syria & Iraq.

Our news is as sanitized as China's news.

We only rarely get a glimpse of the wizard, however, if you watch our news long enough you'll begin to notice a pattern.
They lie so thoroughly on domestic issues (that we can verify) that I'm sure foreign issues are nearly complete fabrications.

For example:
Senator X invokes a 150 year old procedural rule to block voting on bill Y.
How will this be reported by National Public Radio?
That depends if Senator X is a Democrat or a Republican and whether or not bill Y encourages deviant sexual activity.

If Senator X is a Democrat and the bill bans humans from marrying farm animals: Senator X, displaying a comprehensive knowledge of senate procedure, used knowledge gained over decades of experience to block passage of a divisive bill.

If Senator X is a Republican and the bill forces humans to marry farm animals: Senator X, displaying an utter contempt for civility, pulled an archaic senate rule out of the civil war era and shot down Cody Ellision dream. Cody, age 15, of Des Moines, IA will now never realize his dreams.

I know several people who don't believe anything they see in the news anymore.
I assume if they're talking they're lying.