4 ms·

Shaping the politics of other countries with soft power is normal diplomacy. Don't confuse that with pushing for violent overthrow of the governments of other c

Shaping the politics of other countries with soft power is normal diplomacy. Don't confuse that with pushing for violent overthrow of the governments of other countries.

n4r9 5y ago
> pushing for violent overthrow of the governments of other countries This is a perfect description of US involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria over the last 20 years, and many more countries prior to that.
- mlindner 5y ago
  It's simply laughable that people claim this, especially for Afghanistan which was an outright war after we were attacked.
  - n4r9 5y ago
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in... Afghanistan: >In what was known as Operation Cyclone, the U.S. government provided weapons and funding for a collection of warlords and several factions of jihadi guerrillas known as the Afghan mujahideen fighting to overthrow the Afghan government. Iraq: >The CIA launched DBACHILLES, a coup d'état operation against the Iraqi government, recruiting Ayad Allawi, who headed the Iraqi National Accord, a network of Iraqis who opposed the Saddam Hussein government, as part of the operation. The network included Iraqi military and intelligence officers but was penetrated by people loyal to the Iraqi government.[349][350][351] Also using Ayad Allawi and his network, the CIA directed a government sabotage and bombing campaign in Baghdad between 1992 and 1995. Libya: >France, the United States and the United Kingdom launched the 2011 military intervention in Libya with Operation Odyssey Dawn, US and British naval forces firing over 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles,[404] the French and British Air Forces[405] undertaking sorties across Libya and a naval blockade by Coalition forces. Syria: >Starting in 2013, the U.S. provided training, weapons and cash to Syrian vetted moderate rebels,[411][412] and in 2014, the Supreme Military Council.

Shaping the politics of other countries with soft power is normal diplomacy. Don't confuse that with pushing for violent overthrow of the governments of other countries.

n4r9 5y ago

> pushing for violent overthrow of the governments of other countries This is a perfect description of US involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria over the last 20 years, and many more countries prior to that.

mlindner 5y ago
It's simply laughable that people claim this, especially for Afghanistan which was an outright war after we were attacked.
- n4r9 5y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in... Afghanistan: >In what was known as Operation Cyclone, the U.S. government provided weapons and funding for a collection of warlords and several factions of jihadi guerrillas known as the Afghan mujahideen fighting to overthrow the Afghan government. Iraq: >The CIA launched DBACHILLES, a coup d'état operation against the Iraqi government, recruiting Ayad Allawi, who headed the Iraqi National Accord, a network of Iraqis who opposed the Saddam Hussein government, as part of the operation. The network included Iraqi military and intelligence officers but was penetrated by people loyal to the Iraqi government.[349][350][351] Also using Ayad Allawi and his network, the CIA directed a government sabotage and bombing campaign in Baghdad between 1992 and 1995. Libya: >France, the United States and the United Kingdom launched the 2011 military intervention in Libya with Operation Odyssey Dawn, US and British naval forces firing over 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles,[404] the French and British Air Forces[405] undertaking sorties across Libya and a naval blockade by Coalition forces. Syria: >Starting in 2013, the U.S. provided training, weapons and cash to Syrian vetted moderate rebels,[411][412] and in 2014, the Supreme Military Council.