<Yankee come back>
Yes, I think that's the way it would work out. The threat of American military withdrawal, being expelled from the safety of the Pax Americana, would change a lot of attitudes overseas.
And I'm OK with overseas military bases, as long as the people who we are protecting, really want us there. The way they can show they want us, is to pay for it.
And I don't just mean direct money payments. They can "pay for it" by being a democracy, protecting individual freedoms, and having a level playing field for trade. All of those have costs, in blood and money, and a lot of nations haven't been paying their fair share, for a long time. It made sense for the U.S. to bear most of the burden, 60 years ago, but it doesn't make sense any longer.
The U.S. should reward results, not try to do "Nation Building." Our efforts at "nation building" in Afghanistan, have been as successful as when the Soviets tried it in the 1980s, or the Brits in the 1800s, or Alexander the Great 23 centuries ago. "Nation Building" is just colonialism by another name. It's a utopian fantasy, born of ignorance and arrogance. |
