ROKN Corvette sunk after unknown cause

[[130.Pz]S.Lainer]

Honestly, my biggest worry is the education system we have. Mainly, the teachers' unions and teachers' tenure.

   Agreed....I would not call it the biggest problem with our nation by far though.  But then again I assume you are probably a young lad so maybe it is the most pressing thing in your life.

And +1 rep to all (myself included) for steering this bitch off track!   

[Archimonday]

In-case of world end, I steel Lainers' Mp40

[Tedacious]

well all empires fall eventually. Empires are destined to do that. Now, USA is not an empire, but it's the only superpower in world, and that is similar.

U.S. is an Empire

It was though... communism has never survived.

No country has really been communist, the USSR was a largely socialist nation realistically, but claimed to be communist

Yeah you're right, it is just kinda wanted to stay out of that in case of some possible "hating".


USSR was stalinist. neither socialist nor communist.

Define fall. Being superseded does not count as falling, and the way in which Russia fell was by no means predetermined. They could have executed a more successful transition, IMO, such as the way that China became more capitalistic.

Yeah, we will not stay on top forever, but the parallels are deceiving.

Look throughout history.
Macedon/Greece, Roman empire, Carthage, Egypt, Holy Roman Empire etc etc. they have all fallen, destroyed either from the inside, by another empire or other factors. Empires are destined to fall, perhaps not into complete annihilation, but to be weakened AND superseded.

[von.small]

add the British Empire to that list of fails

[Tedacious]

exactly. the examples are numerous, all empires rise and fall.

[Desertfox]

exactly. the examples are numerous, all empires rise and fall.

And the U.S. should be no exception, except the American Empire hasn't lasted that long in retrospect.

[Tedacious]

Right.
But these are different times as well, communications across the globe can be made with the blink of an eye, in this age "everything" is 10x faster. I'm not saying that the fall of the USA will be in 10 years, it will likely take more than half a century. If, let's say the USA falls in 2060, then the empire has existed for approximately 100 years.
Now, comparing that to earlier empires it is somewhat short, but taking into consideration that this is a new age as I mentioned, and "everything" is faster, then perhaps 100 yearss is quite enough for an empire in the world of today.

[Oddball]

It's all a conspiracy! No one really knows what is going to happen. 

[Tedacious]

of course not, I'm just saying that EVERY empire throughout history have fallen, and it USA will without a doubt fall as well.

[hankypanky]

of course not, I'm just saying that EVERY empire throughout history have fallen, and it USA will without a doubt fall as well.

As an American I wouldn't mind if our military empire fell apart. I don't believe our military should be in 150 countries. The Russians can also have Obama too if they want

[:| Hi]

http://www.aolnews.com/article/south-korea-raises-bow-of-sunken-warship/19452757


*cough cough* external explosion *cough cough*

[siben]

Yes, like i tough from day 1, 95% chance it's an old american/north-korea/south-korea/chinese sea mine from the war In the 50's.

Mines are still being found in Belgium dating from WW1 so it's not impossible at all.

[THeTA0123]

Yes, like i tough from day 1, 95% chance it's an old american/north-korea/south-korea/chinese sea mine from the war In the 50's.

Mines are still being found in Belgium dating from WW1 so it's not impossible at all.

Indeed. 15KM away from my home, they found a 250KG British airbomb sitting right under train tracks.


Now....The debate REALLY begins

[siben]

Last month they found a 500kg one about 10km away from here. Its amazing how these bombs are in such good condition, the fuse had no rust at all, it was still shiny!

(i know someone who works at the construction site they found it on, they dug it out and placed it in a field before they called the army to come and pick it up because they did not wanted to loose time working. Boy was the army and police mad at them )

[Paasky]

If both would clash again, it would result probaly in an artillery duel maybe. In wich wich artillery can kill wich faster will be the key factor. South korean artillery is more mobile, but North korean has more and more powerfull artillery

Then again, south korea has the US on their side.

Pretty much most of DPRK artillery is zeroed in on Seoul, so if a full scale war began it would become rubble in a few hours.


I doubt even the North Korean leaders are stupid enough to think their army would stand a chance. If they thought that, the war would've begun a long time ago. They're simply kicking and screaming like a spoiled brat until someone notices them and gives them what they want. And the West (or South?) don't dare to call their bluff.

The only way the Korean situation could be solved without millions getting killed would be if the DPRK army turned on it's leaders. Which I don't see happening in the near-by future.