3 ms·

"We'll back your military coup if you ally with us" seems fairly domineering and imperial from my perspective. Not naturally aligning us to others.

• JumpCrisscross 4y ago
  > "We'll back your military coup if you ally with us" seems fairly domineering and imperial from my perspective. Not naturally aligning us to others. We have allies of colour and allies of convenience. They’re easy to differentiate because we care deeply, almost genuinely, about the internal politics of the former (e.g. the U.K., Germany, Japan, et cetera). They’re discussed as a prize to be contested for. And we tend to welcome their immigrants. With the latter, we don’t, they’re closer to assets, and as a result we tend to prefer the efficiency of autocracy with them. The Gulf and Pakistan fall into this bucket. I understand why we do it, strategically. But I agree it tarnishes our reputation. The difference is, most countries don’t have any relationships in the first category. (Think: the Scandinavia, the Baltic sisters.) Certainly not superpowers.
  • boomboomsubban 4y ago
    "We're nicer to some of our allies," is an interesting take, but I also find it amusing that two of those we care deeply about needed a military occupation to naturally align to our interests.
    • whythre 4y ago
      … a military occupation in the wake of the most destructive war of the last century, started by both of those occupied countries. I bring that up not to crow about the USA’s bygone righteousness, but to highlight that the people of Japan and Germany were ready to embrace a new paradigm, because the old one had resulted in so much suffering and death.