I think you've read my post as more harsh than it is. I don't necessarily see the US's actions in the late 20th century as predatory, per se -- in fact, they w

I think you've read my post as more harsh than it is. I don't necessarily see the US's actions in the late 20th century as predatory, per se -- in fact, they were very likely a logical response to the cutthroat political situation of the time. With perspective, we now understand more intuitively that the global economy is not a zero-sum game. It's not clear to me that this was the perception in the postwar period, especially since the USSR was seen by many as an existential threat to freedom. 1. I disagree that the agreement was a negative for the US in the long term. Bretton Woods actually led to a trade surplus in the short term, putting the US on a solid footing for international investment and foreign military deployments. During this time US trade relationships and influence were firmly established. In the longer term the financial situation changed, which is why the US decided to leave the agreement. 2. Partially true; this situation was due to the success of Bretton Woods in establishing the dollar as a worldwide reserve currency. However, the other side of this is that OPEC nations had a huge surplus and needed a way to invest their earnings. The US established a relationship with them encouraging huge purchases of US treasuries (often without public awareness) in exchange for military aid. See this article for more info: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-05-30/the-untold-story-behind-saudi-arabia-s-41-year-u-s-debt-secret https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-05-30/the-untol... 3. I was just stating that this was an added factor. It certainly didn't drive the entire economy. 4. This ignores the effect of US operations (such as the "Star Wars" defense) that were almost entirely for show, as well as an increasingly erratic and aggressive US military posture. The effect of this was to drive the Soviets to "spend themselves to death," which they certainly did. Again, I also agree that Soviet mismanagement was certainly a factor. 5. It began before the Internet, but only really took off once technology made international communication easier. Otherwise I agree with you here. (The post-Soviet era certainly looked more secure for investment though.)