Originally
posted by
trumper:
Originally
posted by
Oceana:
Spanish-American War, I thought we started that so we could take some land from the Spanish. Oh yes because that was when we start Colonizing just to be like our Euro brothers but were behind so Spain was a weakened and Vulnerable target to give us the PI so we had our spot in Asia too.
If our goal was to colonize then we failed miserably because I can't buy Cuban cigars and I'm pretty sure the Phillipines are not under US control.
It was actually a war against colonizing interests because if you remember we issues a little item called the Monroe Doctrine after we got sick of certain countries claiming ownership to the Americas. The land we colonized was mostly acquired through purchase or by stealing it from the Native Americans or both.
From the Spanish-American war we still have Guam and Puerto Rico, neither of which seems to be pining for independence. Can't say I blame them either.
lmao. "America's intentions are always noble" is basically what you're saying here.
Get a fluffing clue, the Philippines was a US colony for 40 years and didn't like it. (trust me, I'm here right now) Cuba was basically a colony for 60 (the government would get overthrown once the US stopped backing it) until they had their revolution and freed themselves. And you can't smoke Cubans because your government doesn't like the idea of Cuba not being owned by United Fruit or whatever.
In response to your "these countries would be speaking German," it once again demonstrates my point about American arrogance perfectly. If the world had got to the point where the Canadians or Cubans were speaking German, then the fluffing Americans would be speaking German.
And finally, as for your "maybe we should be isolationist" - maybe 3 million dead Vietnamese people would've agreed with that sentiment? The US isn't "universally good" - whether or not US involvement has been beneficial depends on where you're from. For most of Western Europe, it was probably for the best. Eastern Europe owes you nothing, communism was as bad for them as Nazism... besides, they were liberated by the Russians, not the Americans. For Northern Europe, there was no US involvement. We fought Stalin on our own. For many in Latin America, the US has been a disaster and colonial oppressor for 200 years now, working for the interests of its own companies instead of the people there.
So basically, stop being arrogant. Out of curiousity, how many of these countries have you been to? From my experience, the Vietnamese like the Americans (well as much as they like most other tourists) but dislike what they did during the war ("but the people in power are different now"). Ditto the Philipinos. Cubans dislike the people on the whole but generally like the individuals who visit.