I don't think that was, or even was meant to be, specific to the US. That's a universal thing. And it's one which is really very well supported in military hi

I don't think that was, or even was meant to be, specific to the US. That's a universal thing. And it's one which is really very well supported in military history and strategy. Hell, it even goes down to the animal kingdom. Displays of strength are almost always preferred to actual USE of strength. Use of strength brings with it real dangers of injury to those displaying it, the negative consequences of revenge and the like from the victim, etc. This is one of the reasons that many military historians remain confused to this day why Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed. Everyone involved in the decision had to have known that dropping the bombs in unpopulated woodland near the cities would have actually been MORE effective at accomplishing the goals (mostly intimidating the USSR, as it was known from decrypted military communications of the Japanese that they were already defeated and ready to surrender on terms amenable to the Allies).