Quote Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh View Post
Admittedly, our coterie of kleptocratic thugs murdered too many innocents, but decidedly LESS than the Stalinist thugs. Sadly, that means they were "better" for some values of better.


The USA gets derided for being too jingoistic and naive in foreign affairs AND for being too cynical and calculating. I think the world would truly be happiest if we voted "abstain" hereafter in the UN and just funded what they asked us to fund without upsetting everyone.


Europe was happiest with us under Carter, since he had the only truly consistent and principle-driven foreign policy we've displayed over the last half century, with his human rights centered approach. Of course, we see how well that worked out in the long run
As far as enacting a liberal foreign policy, the US was probably at its most focused, driven and effective under the Clinton-Blair axis. Blair is included because he was the one who drove the foreign policy in this manner. Unfortunately the legacy has been blotted by the Iraq debacle, which was driven by Bush and his neocons. However, Blair cannot be wholly excused from this, since he genuinely believed in the intervention, if not in its execution.