Tom Cotton calls for ‘global military dominance’ in maiden Senate speech

[Ichingcarpenter]

“Our enemies and allies alike must know that aggressors will pay an unspeakable price for challenging the United States," Cotton said. "The best way to impose that price is global military dominance.”


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/03/18/tom-cotton-calls-for-global-military-dominance-in-maiden-senate-speech/?tid=HP_more?tid=HP_more

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. earlier : Russia Says America 'Wants to Take over the World'

"It shows that the United States wants to dominate the world," he said, adding that "being first among equals" was not enough for Washington.


http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190271#.VQqN6dLF-0g

[pampango]

29. He sounds like the American version of Russia's Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

Zhirinovsky is well known for his boasts pertaining to other countries, having expressed a desire to reunite countries of the ex-Soviet "near abroad" with Russia to within the Russia's borders of 1900 (including Finland and Poland). He has advocated forcibly retaking Alaska from the United States (which would then become "a great place to put the Ukrainians&quot , turning Kazakhstan into "Russia's back yard", and provoking wars between the clans and the nations of the former Soviet Union and occupying what will remain of it when the wars are over. Zhirinovsky, who encourages separatism within the Russian minority in the Baltic countries, endorsed the forcible re-occupation of these countries and said nuclear waste should be dumped there.

Zhirinovsky is often viewed as "a showman of Russian politics, blending populist and nationalist rhetoric, anti-Western invective and a brash, confrontational style". Although nominally part of the Russian opposition, he is widely seen as a servant of Kremlin policy, used to float radical opinions to test public reaction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Zhirinovsky

Fortunately for all, Cotton is a freshman republican senator with little influence on US foreign or military policy.

[Skidmore]

2. We just literally see the tip of the iceberg when

it comes to the crazy talk from the defense industry and the military, I suspect. I swear this voluntary military attracts personalities that are antisocial or have other issues. Perhaps it is me, but I just can't envision willingly signing up to kill on command or to kill at all. Military dominance, as we have seen thus far, entails large numbers of bodies and plenty of human misery in its wake.

This man is a disgusting person, as are the interests he serves.

[delrem]

3. I thought it was commonly understood that the US was the one and only superpower.

I thought that was the conclusion drawn after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
I thought that the US was the world's policeman.

It doesn't seem to me that Cotton is all that far off the mark of "common opinion".

I can't think of a time in my life when the USA has had to worry about retribution for war crimes.
Can you?

[malaise]

4. Sadly he's just publicly stating the obvious

Obama may prefer diplomacy but when push comes to shove it is all about US imperialism and military dominance.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. WE grew up wanting so bad to be Luke Skywalker,

WE grew up wanting so bad to be Luke Skywalker, but you realize that you were basically a Stormtrooper, a faceless, nameless rifleman, carrying a spear for empire, and you start to accept the startlingly obvious truth.


so the guy who got 47 senators to sign his letter also said this in his speech.


''In our globalized world, our domestic prosperity depends heavily on the world economy, which, of course, requires stability and order. Who provides that stability and order? The U.S. military.''

[malaise]

10. It's always the contradictions that bring self destruction

You can't be a military bully overseas and a democracy at home and those chickens are coming home to roost. Cotton is no different than most of the Frat boys and girls.

[nationalize the fed]

15. McDonald's Needs McDonnell Douglas to Flourish

An article by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times entitled "What the World Needs Now" tells it all. Illustrated by an American Flag on a fist it said, among other things: "For globalism to work, America can't be afraid to act like the almighty superpower that it is....The hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist-McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the designer of the F-15. And the hidden fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valley's technologies is called the United States Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps." (23)

There could not be a better description of how the U.S. armed forces are seen as the military arm of the globalizing transnational corporations (TNCs)...more

Backing up Globalization with Military Might

New World Order Onslaught
by Karen Talbot
Covert Action Quarterly, Issue 68, Fall 1999
http://www.globalissues.org/article/448/backing-up-globalization-with-military-might

Corporations will stop at nothing

To achieve maximum profits these transnationals will stop at nothing. After all, they are non-human institutions that must expand through ever-greater profits, or go out of business. In so doing they have shown willingness to violate human rights-particularly workers' rights—to throw millions out of work, eliminate unions, use sweat-shops and slave labor, destroy the environment, destabilize governments, install or bolster tyrants who oppress, repress, torture and kill with impunity...

Corporations seek to rule the world

"Europe, the U.S. and the WTO are devising agreements that will remove the final obstacles to the free play of 'market forces' and require countries to submit to the unfettered expansion of the multinationals..

Pretty accurate for 1999. Prophetic, even.

[Enthusiast]

20. Pretty scary shit. Much scarier than Isis.

I didn't give global corporate dominance much thought in 1999.

The nail in the coffin would be the TPP and TTIP.

Odd that so few seem to notice what is happening right before their eyes.

[Martin Eden]

31. "Who provides that stability and order? The U.S. military.''

A.K.A. "Shock Doctrine"
"Shock and Awe" is a subset of that, and we can see the stability it provided in Iraq.

[semanticwikiian]

6. World domination is too Hitlerian to me

watching these Heritage folks though - this guy is the epitome of a new Nixonian kinda crowd: neo-bullies.

[Kip Humphrey]

7. Wasn't the last guy to call for "global military dominance" named Adolf?

[HereSince1628]

19. I think it was Dick Cheney, but considering the similarities it's an easy mistake.

He and the Vulcans in control of W's administration, supported by clever writers at the Project for a New American Century believed this was the path to America's destiny in the 21st century

If it wasn't Cheney it was likely William Kristol who can't be confused with Hitler, because Kristol with his over-sized smile as he talks of such things reminds the world most of The Joker.

[Scuba]

8. We're already there.

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. He said this before the senate before he wrote the letter

which 47% of the senate signed.

yeah I know we are there............... it happened right after 911 our new pearl harbor.

[semanticwikiian]

9. This guy SHOULD BE toast politically

but the open spigot that he is for Koch money will make sure that doesn't happen.
The Tea party is gonna love this guy I'll bet.

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. won by 59% of the vote

he's not going away

[delrem]

14. gotta appease them because else golly, what'll they say?

they might call me names!
so gotta appease them, y'see?

[MBS]

13. Wow- this is not only insane, but dangerous, talk

I keep thinking that the Republican Party can't go any farther off the rails than it already has, but it keeps proving me wrong.

[liberal N proud]

16. This moron sounds very dangerous

Like some past dictators that had to be dealt with in a very sever manor.

[Martin Eden]

17. NEOCON

That's what he is. Worked out real well for us when GW Bush took office.

[stillwaiting]

24. +1; Yes. Neocon, and Neocon= Psychotic Asshole/There Will Be Blood; nt

[Enthusiast]

18. How do Cotton's sentiments differ from Adolf Hitler's?

Looks like the Neo-Cons have their man.

[flobee1]

21. same thoughts here

Sounds like hitler, pretty nazi days. If this party gets elected, it's all over!

[Enthusiast]

25. It's like they are on a mission of world conquest.

They want to continue to spend as if we are engaged in a world war but there is no serious enemy in sight.

There are no great navies to oppose us, no Japanese imperial air force, navy or army, no great Wehrmacht. But They® insist that the U.S. military grow bigger and stronger with every passing day. What are we preparing for?

[flobee1]

27. they don't want defense through strength

They want to bomb Countries for their oil and other resources.

[gordianot]

22. You have to admit this nobody has a great promoter somewhere.

Other than writing a letter what has he done? You do not even see a Rove stand in Igor for this little monster. Nor does Cotton have a wink and a twangy whine. Can Cotton make children cry like the Canadian Texan? Just a newly minted shiny Republican prick.

[Geronimoe]

23. World dominance because Iraq and Afgahnistan where so suscessful?

If Cotton can't see what a mess Bush & Cheney created, he must have PTSD.

M<st of America cities look like war zones with infrastructure crumbling and businesses and factories shut down.

Who gave TOm Cotton $20 million to buy a seat in the Senate?

[Enthusiast]

26. He doesn't have PTSD. He's just stupid and he has no ethics.

[karynnj]

37. He has links to Heritage and Town Hall back to his college years

He is a carefully "created" future leader.

His comments here are scary and nonsensical, but they play true to the hate radio tea party crowd. When he was running, the media spoke of his "perfect" resume - Harvard and serving in Iraq. (Note - combination of Ivy League and military service works just for Republicans because something has to be wrong if a Democrat had the latter credential - see Kerry, Gore) They were disappointed that he has the charisma of an old shoe!

[newfie11]

28. One word come to mind

HITLER!
This jackass better not climb any higher in politics!

[flobee1]

30. you know it will happen

He just out-cruz'd cruz
rush will anoint him as supreme leader!

[newfie11]

39. That's a scary thought

But your probably right. It seems the crazier they are the more their elected.

[Fred Sanders]

32. American Senator Goes All Hitler, Threatens World War III - Media deploys cone of silence?

The nation The World fears most is America with Tea Party control of 5000 nuclear warheads and a military built to crush them all.

Why do they really want to drastically increase military spending when there is no war being waged other than against a small, local criminal gang half a world away?

[flobee1]

34. greed

Oil

[99Forever]

33. Where is the Democratic counter to this insane shit?

I'm hoping I am just missing it.

[think]

35. Sigh.... /nt

[PatrickforO]

36. Uh, we already have that, Tom.

What we REALLY need is to bring our middle class back to life by reversing changes your party has been forcing since 1981.

[Baitball Blogger]

38. It feels like it was yesterday that Republicans were so opposed

to becoming the world's policeman.

Now it's part of their platform.

[leftyladyfrommo]

40. Wow!

I wonder how many guns he owns?

He is way out there but at least he is showing his colors so people will at least know how dangerous he is.