Pledges given? Yes, I'm aware of the Truman Doctrine and the Monroe Doctrine and a few other "doctrines" here and there. I am also aware that our pledge given regarding eastward expansion of NATO by Bush 41, and I note how we have not honored it. And I observe that as we move our troops into countries bordering Russia, we are saying by implication that WE can have and enforce our Monroe Doctrine, but Russia may not do the same. I guess that's because we are exceptional and special on this planet, a superior citizenship for humans?
Whoever said we were threatened by Vietnam? I'm not sure anybody said those actual words, but I do understand implications, and being a professor, I'm sure you do too. The question might be were you around at that time to receive the implication given by our leaders that communism and Vietnam were threats not only to us, but to world order.
The good humor is that all these years later we are trading with those horrible communists. :lol:
As a history professor, I assume you are aware of the practice of "writing history" in a favorable light, favorable to the person writing the history, and any agenda he may embrace. I hope you're not suggesting humans that groups of humans with special interests don't develop and advance agendas?
It matters not whether I am more perceptive in seeing the influence of the MIC during my life time, or you are less perceptive in that regard, but I assure you Ike was not making things up. In fact from then until now as we start another round of bombing in Libya, the military industrial complex drives and controls US government policy and spending. Vietnam was a fraud, and the entire GWOT is a fraud, of epic proportions.
eace
First, where are you getting your information, apparently faulty, on any pledges made not to expand eastward NATO under GHWB?
https://www.brookings.edu/2014/11/06/did-nato-promise-not-to-enlarge-gorbachev-says-no/ Brookings is considered, if anything besides nonpartisan, a more liberal leaning think tank. I don't think Gorbachev, who was kinda there, has any particular reason to lie about this, either.
Secondly, using the Monroe Doctrine we did not stop Soviet troops, their navy, intelligence operations or being what amounted to a distant satellite state in Cuba... we did say NO to putting Nukes on Cuba, 90 miles off the coast of the state I was living in at that time.
Yes, I was also around to receive the implications that communism [had a class in high school,
Americanism vs Communism, required class at the time] was a threat... and it was. One which we, intelligently , “Contained”. Specifically Greece and Turkey, Korea, Vietnam, all were involved in that containment strategy along with the rest of the world... a strategy that worked. Not flawlessly, but pretty damned well with no more major World Wars, no need to use A bombs to Nukes by either side. And we stopped, for the most part, unbridled communist expansion. Try giving me some major examples of where the communists went where they did not murder, often hideously, major portions of their own populations, usually into the millions, even in small countries like Cambodia [ one of those pesky little dominoes that fell to communism ].
We are no longer dealing with the Soviet threat of worldwide conquest... so the pawn of Vietnam in its gambit to undermine Democracy and Capitalism failed. Cuba isn't a threat any longer, either. But I am guessing you don't understand the implications of the Soviet collapse and the end of the Cold War? Our strategy of Containment worked, capitalism is pulling formerly VERY communistic China more towards our system... we smartly defused the threat worldwide. Why shouldn't we trade with our former enemies if they no longer are part of a global threat?
I do not doubt Ike, he is one of my favorites. He gave both warnings, as mentioned earlier. You believe the one but not the other? I believe both were to be listened to and acted upon. You believe only the one, why? You have yet to prove your point or to disprove my facts stated. I do feel the MIC influences too much, yet I do not let the fear of that blind me to real threats, then or now.
Yes, the US is special. Do you doubt it? Based upon what?