The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[scaeagles]

Please talk to me about our bully actions. Seriously. I have never considered us to be a bully nation. Are we talking militarily?

In the last century, what can I think of?

Participation in WWI.
Participation in WWII.
Korea.
Bay of Pigs.
Vietnam.
Failed rescue attempt in Iran.
Afghanistan (assisting rebels)
Grenada.
Nicaragua (assisting rebels)
Panama.
Gulf War I, and the extension of it in Gulf War II.
Afghanistan.

I see all of those as reaction to other bullies or as a direct action to protect allies or our citizens. I can see two exceptions to that, being the Bay of Pigs and ousting Noriega from Panama (it was Noriega, right?). We can argue about the logic of particiapting in Korea or Vietnam or helping Afghan rebels when the Soviets invaded (now there's a bully nation, thankfully having returned to dust) or whatever, but how can those things be regarded as us being a bully or an aggressor?

Are we talking economic bullying? I suppose I don't know enough about that to say yes or no.

Are we talking about not giving in to what the rest of the world wants, like Kyoto?

I see bullies out there. Plenty of them. Oppressors of their own people. Saber rattlers who proclaim that Isreal must be run into the sea and that Jews must be exterminated. Warlords who starve people to control them. Plenty of former ones as well that no longer exist, like (Nazi) Germany and the USSR. I do not consider us to be in that company.

Edited to add: I have no doubt my list is incomplete. I have been thinking of others since I posted, most significantly the naval blockade of Cuba.