Military History | How To Make War | Wars Around the World Rules of Use How to Behave on an Internet Forum
Armed Forces of the World Discussion Board
   Return to Topic Page
Subject: America's Worst Enemy in History
mongyu    1/2/2008 8:16:10 AM
The title says it all: Who do you think has been the greatest enemy ever to threaten America? My vote goes to the British hands down. No other country ever came as close as the British to physically ending the United States in our history. The Germans and the Japanese were formidable in their own right, but neither [or even both] could reasonably invade the United States. The Soviet Union had the theoretical potential to destroy the United States, but I think everyone agrees that this was not a practical capability in the way the British Empire's ability to take Washington DC was. The Soviets were a dangerous enemy ideologically in the way it could convert adherents in America, but they never out-did the British who successfully supported a rebellion in the United States by funding, arming, and giving moral support to the Confederacy. So what country would you choose?
 
Quote    Reply

Show Only Poster Name and Title     Newest to Oldest
Pages: PREV  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25   NEXT
mongyu       1/2/2008 9:54:22 PM

     ......and yet american history hardly mentions them.<Ehran
 

They teach it just fine Ehran. It's in the history books and has been since it happened.

 

Check Six

 

Rocky



Heh.  I remember my history book had highlighted, half-page dedications to important people in American History like Washington and Lincoln; one of them was Lafeyyete.
In fact, you can type "Lafayette Road" "Lafayette Avenue" "Lafayette Town" "Lafayette City" into your Google search (actually I use Dogpile) and you'll get a listing of all the variant places named after the man in the United States.  ;)
 
Try it.  ;)
 
Quote    Reply

mongyu       1/2/2008 9:59:54 PM
I have GOT to stop inducing this website's "double-post" function.
 
Quote    Reply

ambush       1/2/2008 11:29:56 PM
My vote for the United State?s most dangerous enemy is the United States (to include the Confederacy as part of US). Sure the UK burned Washington DC but let us not forget on own raids on British soil and that fact like during the revolution the War of 1812 was really only a side show to the larger European War the UK was involved in.

 During the Civil War we had draft riots and a Presidential candidate/former Union General who ran on what was basically a peace platform favoring a negotiated settlement with the confederacy.   Had that happened or had the union population or even had the Confederacy succeeded in taking Washington D.C. (as they almost did) would the United States survived long after that?  I think it is more likely that it would have dissolved into a smaller more loosely aligned confederation of independent nations.

I think that today we are still our own worst enemy despite the potential external enemies we face.  Many of our fellow citizens lack the national will or even desire to confront those enemies. This does not bode well for us.

This is not new for us.  During the dark days of the Revolution we had many who had wanted to quit.  During the war of 1812 some politicians in Connecticut wanted to cut their peace deal with UK. Even during WWII the US Army had to rely on a draft to fill 65% of its manpower needs.

 

 
Quote    Reply

ambush       1/2/2008 11:36:50 PM

CSS Alabama was a screw sloop-of-war built for the Confederate States Navy at Birkenhead, England in 1862 by John Laird Sons and Company of Birkenhead.[1] Alabama served as a commerce raider, attacking Union merchant and naval ships over the course of her two-year career, during which she never laid anchor in a Southern port.


During her two-year career as a commerce raider, Alabama had caused disorder and devastation across the globe for United States merchant shipping. The Confederate cruiser claimed more than 60 prizes valued at nearly $6,000,000. In an important development in international law, the U.S. Government pursued the "Alabama Claims" against the British Government for such devastation, and following a court of arbitration, won heavy damages.

 
Quote    Reply

mongyu       1/2/2008 11:45:39 PM

My vote for the United State?s most dangerous enemy is the United States (to include the Confederacy as part of US). 

Heh.  I was waiting to see when someone would make an outright statment like that, not-withstanding Rocky's obvious aversion to "Liberals".
 
Quote    Reply

Jeff_F_F       1/3/2008 12:48:34 AM
FYI - if you refresh after posting it will post again...
 
Quote    Reply

paul1970       1/3/2008 5:50:28 AM











Now now, we both know it was the French that really won that war ;)

B.L.







Ugh...






Outdone by the French ?  Surely you jest! 






 





it isn't a fact americans bring up when they teach history but without french aid the revolutionary war was a foregone conclusion pretty much ending with a bunch of founding fathers getting hung for treason. 




One simple answer. Cowflop.

I suggest you do an economic analysis of the Earth at the time. The proto-US was at 1/4 of France's economic output and CLIMBING. If not 1783 then by 1820. Britain in NA was FINISHED.

Herald


you mean the USA rather than North America?
and what do you mean by "FINISHED"?
 
Quote    Reply

paul1970       1/3/2008 6:10:58 AM
 
 
the British were probably the only power that had the ability to defeat and destroy the fledgling USA without being destroyed themselves. but they never had the inclination or determination to carry it through in either of the two wars.
 
Russia qualify under MAD.
 
Japan and Germany were never going to be a real threat to destroying America at home.
 
as for the future...
MAD rules. no country can destroy America without being destroyed themselves (outside of some fantastical plan from book or film)
 
radical islam... long way off before any Islamic state could destroy the US and they probably fall under the MAD rule as the US may strike back at all countries it views as radical islamic.
 
terrorism can hurt but cannot destroy a unified country.
 
 
 
 
Quote    Reply

FJV       1/3/2008 8:21:55 AM
That's easy, America.

They had ±10 years of relative peace (1989-2001) and see what happened.





 
Quote    Reply

Herald12345       1/3/2008 9:13:48 AM
















Now now, we both know it was the French that really won that war ;)

B.L.









Ugh...








Outdone by the French ?  Surely you jest! 








 







it isn't a fact americans bring up when they teach history but without french aid the revolutionary war was a foregone conclusion pretty much ending with a bunch of founding fathers getting hung for treason. 





One simple answer. Cowflop.

I suggest you do an economic analysis of the Earth at the time. The proto-US was at 1/4 of France's economic output and CLIMBING. If not 1783 then by 1820. Britain in NA was FINISHED.

Herald



you mean the USA rather than North America?

and what do you mean by "FINISHED"?

I mean finished in North America. Why the Great White North put up with it, is your internal political business, but if you really wanted to kick Britain out, they were out, through, period.

Herald

 
Quote    Reply
PREV  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25   NEXT



 Latest
 News
 
 Most
 Read
 
 Most
 Commented
 Hot
 Topics