Imperialism
Critical examination and reflection is needed for a well functioning democracy. Nations, like humans, also have their share of pathologies. For the USA it is the insatiable thirst for power and control to sustain the American way of life. Control of the Earth’s resources (or the more flashy term used by military think tanks – “full spectrum domination”). As a consequence, it has a grim record of violation of international law: it has been the greatest aggressor – subverting the natural course of democracy, overthrowing democratically elected governments, replacing with the most brutal dictatorships, using the most clandestine means, such as recruiting, arming, turning people into guerrillas.
A good book I recommend is “Understanding Power” by Noam Chomsky. Though it’s mainly about US foreign policy, it gives you a general idea of the politics of power, as it applies to different walks of life. Disclaimer: I’m in no way a Chomsky “fan” nor “left”. I’d hold my own grounds which doesn’t fall into any binary classification of left vs right. Which is why I like Indian democracy, there are a mind-boggling number of political parties (especially at the state and local level) which represent all sort of causes, such that nothing is as simple as left/right or republican/democrat. In a country that is so diverse binary systems just won’t work, it will not fairly represent every ones interest (this is being increasingly felt in the USA as well).
Here’s a list of the countries that the U.S. has bombed since the end of World War II, in the name of establishing “democracy” or “freedom”, as compiled by historian William Blum:
China 1945-46
Korea 1950-53
China 1950-53
Guatemala 1954
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-60
Guatemala 1960
Congo 1964
Peru 1965
Laos 1964-73
Vietnam 1961-73
Cambodia 1969-70
Guatemala 1967-69
Grenada 1983
Libya 1986
El Salvador 1980s
Nicaragua 1980s
Panama 1989
Iraq 1991-99
Sudan 1998
Afghanistan 1998
Yugoslavia 1999
Afghanistan 2001-
Iraq 2003-And now for the test: in how many of these instances did a democratic government, respectful of human rights, occur as a direct result?
Source: http://www.peacefulaction.org
Also, check out: http://www.newamericancentury.org