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Well way back in the Woodrow Wilson Progressive Era, that we are seeing emerge once again, Although Wilson had primarily been elected to reform national politics and initiate new progressive policies in Washington, he spent the majority of his time as President dealing with foreign policy rather than domestic. Wilson's predecessors, including McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and Taft, had viewed the United States as an emerging power that needed to extend its influence throughout the world in order to serve national interests. This imperialist policy was justified by the commonly held belief that it was America's duty as a Christian republic to spread democracy throughout the world. These three Presidents significantly expanded America's influence abroad with the annexation of colonies throughout the world, such as the Philippines and Cuba.
Wilson's greatest challenge came from Mexico. In 1913, Mexico fell into a bloody revolution when Mexican general Victoriano Huerta overthrew the nation's government and declared himself its military dictator. Wilson immediately denounced Huerta, declaring that the United States could not and should not recognize violent dictators who seized government in pursuit of their own agendas. The President attempted to initiate peaceful negotiations between Huerta and the usurped government, but both sides refused to submit to his proposal. Unsure how to proceed, Wilson permitted Huerta's enemies, the Constitutionalists, to purchase military equipment and arms in the U.S. in order to stage a counterrevolution.
Despite the settlement, Wilson's Mexican troubles were not yet over. Soon after Carranza was instated as Mexico's new president, one of his chief generals, Pancho Villa, led a second revolution to depose Carranza. A second bloody civil war erupted in Mexico barely after the first had ended. To encourage the American military to enter the conflict, Villa sent his forces into the U.S., where they destroyed the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and killed nineteen Americans. This produced the reaction Villa sought: within days of the raid on Columbus, Wilson sent the Punitive Expedition of 5,000 U.S. Army regulars, led by General John J. Pershing, into Mexico to find Villa.
Within a year of Wilson's second inauguration, Europe collapsed into the deadliest war conceivable, and the rest of the world soon followed. It eventually fell on Wilson to determine America's course of action, the outcome of the Great War, and the new world order that would emerge.
Way back, some big wig in high places decided Americas roll in the world was to spread the USA democracy to all nations around the world, even if it took force to do so.
If America is such an "Imperialist" nation, how many countries do we have control of?
In our day, quite a few actually.
Quote:
On the other side of the coin how many countries have fought against and for and then turned the country back over to the people of those countries?
Perhaps a different phrasing might be more illustrative; "how many countries have [we] fought for or against and then turned the country back over to the people that we chose to give it back to - with conditions of course?
Well way back in the Woodrow Wilson Progressive Era,
Wilson?? What does Wilson stand out for any particular note when you can point to Millard Fillmore's approach to, shall we say, opening Japan to "free trade?"
I'm coming at the angle of why we have our noses in everybody's business.
The great influence the USA has on nations, is the control they seek.
The reason the Progressives love Mao so much is, he set the groundwork for a nation poised to rule the world. The only thing in their way, is the Constitution of the USA and the free people that are not controlled... Yet.
Perhaps a different phrasing might be more illustrative; "how many countries have [we] fought for or against and then turned the country back over to the people that we chose to give it back to - with conditions of course?
Names of countries please.
Examples. As I recall we defeated Germany and Japan. We did not keep those lands as ours. we freed France and never claimed ownership.
Well way back in the Woodrow Wilson Progressive Era, that we are seeing emerge once again, Although Wilson had primarily been elected to reform national politics and initiate new progressive policies in Washington, he spent the majority of his time as President dealing with foreign policy rather than domestic. Wilson's predecessors, including McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and Taft, had viewed the United States as an emerging power that needed to extend its influence throughout the world in order to serve national interests. This imperialist policy was justified by the commonly held belief that it was America's duty as a Christian republic to spread democracy throughout the world. These three Presidents significantly expanded America's influence abroad with the annexation of colonies throughout the world, such as the Philippines and Cuba.
Wilson's greatest challenge came from Mexico. In 1913, Mexico fell into a bloody revolution when Mexican general Victoriano Huerta overthrew the nation's government and declared himself its military dictator. Wilson immediately denounced Huerta, declaring that the United States could not and should not recognize violent dictators who seized government in pursuit of their own agendas. The President attempted to initiate peaceful negotiations between Huerta and the usurped government, but both sides refused to submit to his proposal. Unsure how to proceed, Wilson permitted Huerta's enemies, the Constitutionalists, to purchase military equipment and arms in the U.S. in order to stage a counterrevolution.
Despite the settlement, Wilson's Mexican troubles were not yet over. Soon after Carranza was instated as Mexico's new president, one of his chief generals, Pancho Villa, led a second revolution to depose Carranza. A second bloody civil war erupted in Mexico barely after the first had ended. To encourage the American military to enter the conflict, Villa sent his forces into the U.S., where they destroyed the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and killed nineteen Americans. This produced the reaction Villa sought: within days of the raid on Columbus, Wilson sent the Punitive Expedition of 5,000 U.S. Army regulars, led by General John J. Pershing, into Mexico to find Villa.
Within a year of Wilson's second inauguration, Europe collapsed into the deadliest war conceivable, and the rest of the world soon followed. It eventually fell on Wilson to determine America's course of action, the outcome of the Great War, and the new world order that would emerge.
Way back, some big wig in high places decided Americas roll in the world was to spread the USA democracy to all nations around the world, even if it took force to do so.
Of course a lot of what you said, can't be argued, because you mixed in history with your reasonings for the events.
The Spanish American war, where most of you're idea seems to have started, was caused by a meeting of several events. Namely, the Monroe doctrine, Spanish Imperialism, Media propaganda emerging, and Theodore Roosevelts desire to get a up to date Navy.
It wasn't mainly imperial goals of the United States that was the major factor, yet, it was part of it.
Wilson also went to war with Germany, because he had retrieved telegrams from Germany to the leaders of Mexico, trying to secure landing areas, for an invasion of the United States. Lets not make it sound like WWI we weren't being threatened and attacked.
If the isolationists after WWI hadn't gotten their way, perhaps Wilson would have been part of the League of Nations, which would likely have ended WWII before it ever began.
Most other wars after that, I disagree with. However, I can see a real "We're fighting them over there, so we don't have to....." thing going on with the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The question is, how did we get here. The question is, how do we get out of it? How do we stop being the worlds police officers? How do we make the military industrial complex shrink?
Examples. As I recall we defeated Germany and Japan. We did not keep those lands as ours. we freed France and never claimed ownership.[/quote]
As I recall, I wrote and you quoted:
Perhaps a different phrasing might be more illustrative; "how many countries have [we] fought for or against and then turned the country back over to the people that we chose to give it back to - with conditions of course?
Quote:
Names of countries please.
Just for S&G's a few places that we didn't give back are
Hawaii
Puerto Rico
"American" Samoa
The Virgin Islands (of course we just bought that one from the original thieves)
Ones we held onto until we found a regime that we liked (an incomplete listing):
Philippines
Haiti
Cuba
Honduras (7 occasions)
Dominican Republic (5)
Panama (10)
Japan I (1854)
China I (1899)
I could list the coups and destabilizations but who wants to ruin a perfectly good Sunday?
Perhaps a different phrasing might be more illustrative; "how many countries have [we] fought for or against and then turned the country back over to the people that we chose to give it back to - with conditions of course?
Better yet who else would overthrow an elected leader and install a dictator? Why Team America of course.
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