Like I said, it's all Somebody Else's Fault. There are two sides to every story
It depends.. Often there are sometimes 3, the two rival major powers, and then the local politico-economic powers within the "target" country who seek to profit by playing both of the major powers off against one another.
There's been more than once where American and Russian politicians have been manipulated by people living in the country in question..
But don't try and deny that the politicians in the Soviet Union attempted to coerce nations into becoming totalitarian systems benefitting only those who belonged to the party apparatus. The most, IMO, the US can be blamed for is installing dictatorships, or merely supporting the ones already in existence, in order to secure the interests of American companies seeking to do business in those countries, even if it meant not actively advancing the economic and political rights of every citizen..
But most of those dictatorships began unraveling back in the '70s (although Nicaragua actually found itself in a worse situation with the Sandinistas)... And through constant pressure to open up their political process, we continue to see dictatorships become pluralist societies.
So no, Win.. Previous US administrations bear some blame. But we have not spent the past 80 years trying to create totalitarian puppet states. We are developing those nations, and hopefully making a profit at the same time. US allies have a choice they can make, even if there are economic consequences for their choices, should they oppose the US. But there is no law that says that nations HAVE to trade with one another..
And before you say I don't know what I'm talking about, I've PERSONALLY been involved in development and humanitarian assistance programs in Latin America... Never once did I see US personnel attempt, or recommend, the creation of social oppression and totalitarianism..
We ain't perfect, but we certainly are the lesser of two evils.
Just ask all of those people who risk their lives trying to get into this country.
Hawk |
