"We didn't tell you to come to America on holiday."

hmmm so there was a plot to do devistating things on an airplane that was foiled in the UK, this guy gets on a plane, gets cleared by them, sent to the US, the US determines him to be a security risk, so they seperate him from his family and stick him on another plane back to the UK... anyone see the irony in that.

Sizequeens

'spose they could have made him swim for home.

Military isn't the only way to crush a country. It would take less than 24 hours for China to have the U.S. on its knees if they wanted--through finances. They could decide in a heartbeat that all the factories located there owned by companies here are now owned by them. They could decide that all the money we owe them needs to be paid now.

We'd be toast in less than 24 hours. The worst stock market crash we have ever experienced.

except that without our trade deficit they would collapse as well

They would be hurting for a while, but they could recover. We owe them money, not the other way around. Once they'd own those factories, they could make all the profit from them.

I recall in the 80's and early 90's everyone was running around claiming the same thing about Japan.

Bring this country to its knee's in 24hours?

I think not.

Briana Dawson

and sell to who? The problem with that theory is, they are geared to sell to us primarily and so they would have a huge economic problem retooling to sell to other markets. Then there is the whole political side of a major economic downfall there, like say "peasant revolt"

They would own those factors for about 12 hours

It's not that simple. It never is.

Besides, for a country vying for a place on the top of the world economy, that kind of behavior doesn't help.

I'm not saying it would be smart for them to do. Just like it wouldn't be smart for a country, no matter how strong their military is, to try to take down the United State militarily. It would be a stupid thing for any country to do.

LOL (Funny comment about loudest. )

I was speaking more in terms of our allies and military bases...not only the geographical size of the country LOL. I know that there are countries larger than the U.S. obviously. But to call the U.S. "small" is kinda reaching. Just my opinion though LOL.

OK Let's stop all the speculation and read some facts here:

Check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_size_of_armed_forces
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_size

Oops sorry I didn't see your post. Didn't mean to step on your toe there Lorelei

My toes are positively unsquashed

The only racist country in the world right now is Israel. In fact, US and European countries could use being a bit more "racist" before it's too late. Unless of course we all want to crawl on our knees submitting to Allah within a hundred years. This thread is silly.

I've got the biggest gun though, so you all lose!

Well I've got the...*censored*...so I win! Damn PG forums!

It's ok, bananas are PG. Wanna see mine?

How do you carry it around?

Yeh, a terrible affliction, but I have learned to live with it. I've got used to stepping in rhythm with the swing now, well I had to really. On the plus side, it's a beautiful display of simple harmonic motion in action.

Actually Briana's right. The USA would respond with implied military threat. Ever seen a redneck's truck get reposessed? Similar situation. Both sides would suffer horribly as their markets came crashing down due to the lack of income, but China would suffer this more. The response would be, essentially, a cold war of economics. China would begin manufacturing American goods and selling at a lower rate to other countries than the USA can obtain the same goods for and for damn sure lower than we can manufacture for. European and former Eastern Bloc countries would buy from China, whereas our goods would only see value in parts of Europe, the Americas, and perhaps India. All it would take is one economic bloc country to commit an act of violence against another of the other side, incited by extreme price competition for sold goods and manufacturing capability, as well as resource acquisition, in neutral countries. The act of violence would be one bloc invading a neutral country to obtain a resource (such as oil) and the other declaring a "peacekeeping" mission to obtain that resource for itself by "defending" the neutral country. Enough of this happens without either side collapsing, but with both sides entering recession, and BOOM you have WWIII.

So not 24 hours. It'd just fuck us ALL up in about 10 years tops.

Have you tried one of these?

I did for a while, before it developed, but I was getting too much abuse from environmentalists claiming I was putting too much of a strain on the rain forest :/

Population, size, who is bigger and badder? Please.

The man's family was allowed in while he was sent home. If those idiots in security had actually believed he may be a terrorist, wouldn't they have assumed his family would be involved and a threat as well? A few angry frightened security guards got away with bullying a tourist and shipping him off when he didn't cower and beg well enough to appease them. They got away with it because the US government supports and encourages racial profiling.

Due to the current administration's dealings, this ridiculous and terrifying thing called the Patriot Act and a growing rabid nationalism touted as patriotism, the US has become nothing more than the neighborhood bully. And like all bullies, lives in fear that someone bigger and badder is going to come along and squash us.

This man was not a threat, but the attitude that sending him home and seperating him from his family was somehow acceptable, is.