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Comment by beretguy | Hacker News Reader

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Like most Asians and most Muslims, I have been opposed to the “rules based international order” my entire adult life. American proxy wars have caused tremendous damage around the world. And I’m incredibly proud we finally have an American President who realizes they don’t serve American interests either.

This is not a new sentiment and it caused by Russian social media propaganda: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4473508,00.html. I cite Chomsky less these days than I used to, but I recall back when I was a Gore-supporting Democrat and we were mocking “Team America: World Police” he was seen as pretty respectable. Is he Russian propaganda?

American proxy wars propping up illegitimate governments that rule without the consent of the governed have caused problems. The US is supporting a legitimate government against an invading dictatorship. The broad brush you paint with would have had the US not support the allies with weapons in WW2 all the way through 1941.

That was true of Vietnam and South Korea too. And in Iraq we were toppling a brutal dictatorship and in Syria we would’ve been doing that. The U.S. shouldn’t have been getting involved in any of those. Democracy promotion is not a legitimate foreign policy—because for many countries (maybe most countries) authoritarianism is better than a dysfunctional democracy.

Once again, your argument is in favor of not helping the Allies against the Axis powers. This is not about democracy promotion. It's about repelling an invasion from a dictatorship. Invading a nonexpansionist Third Reich is a different proposition from helping other countries fight off an invasion from a Morgen die Welt conqueror. As I said, I agree the US shouldn't install and prop up illegitimate governments like the RVN. The people ruled by the illegitimate government won't appreciate it. That's not what's going on here.

> And I’m incredibly proud we finally have an American President who realizes they don’t serve American interests either

Seriously? The current president is even more on-board than the previous ones with using Israel as a U.S. proxy. Just because he's also in bed with Putin doesn't mean he opposes American imperialism.

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