(06-19-2019, 10:12 AM)JaguarKick Wrote:

(06-18-2019, 05:27 PM)B2hibry Wrote: Why not? Also, what foreign lands have we acquired through military force in the last 20, 30, 40 years+?

We aren't trying to maintain a foothold in the middle east so much as wanting to influence the region so that the trash doesn't make its way to our shores. You may also be surprised at how many nations invite and actually pay us to park in their backyard.

Our government learned long ago (during the Reagan years, especially) that it's a hell of a lot more effective to arm and point the weapon where we want it to go than to actively acquire through military force.

Just because we take on more of a shadow puppet master role doesn't mean we aren't in control of what happens in other nations.

Yes, we attempt to influence and reinforce democracy in an effort to block eastern block like socialism/dictatorships and this has been going since inception. But this superpower does not need to use military force as a primary source of that influence. Let economics do the talking. That is the difference between imperialism, occupation or whatever term you wish to use, and the influence I speak of. Believe it or not, there is a difference between influence and absolute control.

Some may wish to just ignore the global geopolitical climate but eventually the bad will overflow and directly impact your safehaven in the United States. I wonder how many Asian Pacific countries feel about the fact they ignored their regions geopolitical goings on now that the trash is washing over their sovereign shores?

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