Some anonymous internet user claims they have a PhD. Quickly, everyone, throw your brains out of the window and believe everything they say.
> It's working. Iraq's death rates are tumbling, and now it's even lower than ours.
Now I am not sure if you are serious or meant your post to be sarcastic. Maybe I underestimated your subtle sarcasm. But just in case it wasn't. I wonder why was Iraq having high death rates? Was there war going there? Maybe some sanctions were imposed too? Do you know? Or is recent history not part of the economics PhD dissertation.
> I wish you would rely on actual data and facts for your responses.
Or maybe just claim I have a PhD in economics so I don't have to provide any data.
Is this supposed to say anything other than "you're stupid and I'm smart"? I would just say it that way. It takes fewer words and is more direct.
Hm, I see a dip caused by the Iran-Iraq war. Who made and sold the guns to the Iranians? I'm not sure! Then in 1991 something seems to have gone wrong. I think it was something about the US ambassador shrugging at Iraq when Iraq asked permission to stop Kuwait's slant drilling. Hm, then a massive dip followed, not sure who caused that.
But luckily the US showed up and stopped whatever evil world super power was suppressing the Iraqi economy! And just look how well off they were after the US got involved for the first time in 2003.
We boosted their GDP to $65 billion! Which seems a bit low considering we've literally lost $12 billion shipped into Iraq on pallets. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/feb/08/usa.iraq1
All hail the economics PHD and his Jolly Green Giant.
And oh hey, let's talk about death rate! http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?v=26&c=iz&c=us...
Hm, that stat seems to say that it's safer in Iraq than the United States. Perhaps you want to pick a more specific stat to mention?
You must think you know a lot.
> No other country has been responsible for lifting more people out of poverty than the U.S.
That's like Microsoft taking credit for putting a PC in every home. In other words, claiming credit for a rising tide you were doing your best to fight.
> China and India are eradicating poverty at record levels because of the open borders for trade with the U.S.
Silly economist, there aren't open borders. Just try to move between China and the USA without unreasonably more money than a Chinese worker could earn.
Also your free trade comes with conditions attached - forced sale of resources for instance, or lowering of safety standards. More temporary income for some can't compensate a country for losing its natural resources at unreasonably low prices.
But yes, that we've outsourced production to them and lowered some existing barriers to trade has sent a lot of money their way. You seem to be operating under the trickle-down delusion though.
> Iraq is seeing rapid growth rates in its GDP,
Of course, get the resources flowing and lift the embargoes and the economy bounds up, though only to a fraction of what it would have been without the invasion.
> as its own government openly embraces us and wants our troops there to stablize its country,
Every dictator we've propped up has embraced us and thanked us for our troops - it's why we picked them.
> so they can safely build its country.
We don't have the government we want in the USA. How likely is it we've given them one they like?
> And guess what? It's working. Iraq's death rates are tumbling
We've stopped killing Iraqis? No? Oh, you just mean we just aren't killing them as quickly.
> and now it's even lower than ours
Bullshit. But even if it were it's another example of claiming credit for your limited role in cleaning up a mess you already started. In this case it just means you're bombing Pakistan more.
> I wish you would rely on actual data and facts for your responses.
I wish your PhD wasn't so narrow you were unable to see the facts for the data.
You probably didn't, but I think many people will see an obvious contradiction in that statement.
> Nothing the US has ever done, even at it's most oppressive
However North Korea is not advertising itself around the world and taken seriously as a bastion of freedom, democracy, and human rights. US is while also managing to conduct wars on all continents, drop bombs in countries we are not even at war with (Pakistan), raped South American Continent for years, installed and supported countless of brutal dictators around the world. It has tortured, killed and starved to death (via sanctions countless) countless people.
US is attacked because it exerts the most influence. If you live in Columbia you are more influenced by US policy not North Korea. And that true for many regions and countries around the world. North Korea doesn't control the internet, US does.