US Military History

In the debate around the Iraq war and the "War on Terror" opponents often make reference to America's less than perfect military history. Some allege that the US is a terrorist nation.

Now Adbusters has produced a (surprisingly) objective overview(Flash required) of American military history citing interventions large and small in the last 200 years.

Reading through it is impressive as it makes an effort to list trivial or justifiable interventions rather than just being a litany of wrongs. It repeatedly says an intervention was made to protect American lives and property.

Nevertheless in its honesty we also see a thread of expansionism and abuse of power. Latin America, China, the Phillipines, Hawaii, Haiti, Japan, Mexico, Iran and numerous others have been interfered with, annexed, colonised, intimidated or had dictatorial regimes supported all for the benefit of the US and usually specifically US companies.

The Rockerfeller Fruit Company in Latin America, for example, called in US support whenever a country did not act according to its wishes.

It is against this background that we have to consider claims about an Axis of Evil, liberation of Iraq, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and so on. Most of all the claim central to the War on Terror that terrorists exist who want to take innocent lives in a bid for power with no basis in anything other than personal greed. That is, that the terrorists are not freedom fighters against an oppressive superpower, that they have never been wronged and there is no cause for which they fight and that their aim is to vent a purely evil hatred for equality, liberty and fraternity.

It is against the background of the record of US military actions that we contemplate the question "Why do they hate us?". The Bush administration says:

"Americans are asking, why do they hate us? They hate what we see right here in this chamber -- a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other."

That they hate 'us' for our freedoms, because they are "evil" men. But a Google search on the question reveals a diversity of opinion. One that looks particularly interesting is a break down by country of reasons other nations could give for hating the US - essentially an enemies list.

It begins with this quote:

"From 1945 to the end of the century, the United States attempted to overthrow more than 40 foreign governments, and to crush more than 30 populist-nationalist movements struggling against intolerable regimes.

In the process, the US caused the end of life for several million people, and condemned many millions more to a life of agony and despair."

– America: Rogue State by William Blum.

These factors have to be understood and addressed before we can have an informed discussion about the War on Terror or American foreign policy, and before an appeal can be made to the image of America the liberator of Europe and the Pacific in WWII.

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