It's a shame I can't reply to sand_castles directly. Countries freely choosing to allow allies to put military bases on their territory, generally with wide pu

It's a shame I can't reply to sand_castles directly. Countries freely choosing to allow allies to put military bases on their territory, generally with wide public support such as in Germany, Japan, and many others, is hardly colonialism. Every country that has joined NATO did so with public support, even massive public enthusiasm. Public support is actually a requirement to join. Do Indians and Chinese somehow not count? Both have benefited staggeringly from the global trade system built and secured by the US and it's allies. On building alliances "and which 2 countries is pushing to bring about that change ?" Russia and China have a tiny number of genuine military allies at most. NK and Myanmar for China, a few 'stans and Belarus for Russia. All of them horrific brutal dictatorships in their own right. Everybody else anywhere near them loathes their guts, even Vietnam in the case of China, but are sometimes so dependent or weak there's not much they can do about it. >You cannot just wash away mistakes made in the past, there will always be blow back. Agreed. America's mistakes will continue to haunt it for decades to come.