These links (clicked and read) are not all that salacious.
Where there are like-minded people, we like to help. If we can get more like-minded people, that’s better.
If it was for free market capitalism, I’d have an issue with our contribution. A lot of this is about the spread of democracy. I don’t take issue with that.
Self-determination (including the rejection of democracy) seems fundamental to me. Overall, however, I think socialist democracies make the most sense. Beneficent dictatorships seem like a they’re one step away from not being beneficial. Slippery slope thing.
That is such an absurd statement to make. To understand how absurd what you’re saying is replace Taiwan with Texas or Hawaii and replace US with Russia or China. Then tell me with a straight face that US would allow this level of interference in a US state where Russia or China would groom politicians, sponsor movements via their state orgs, and send weapons there. Last I checked US liberals are still losing their minds over the fact that a Russian oligarch bought a few 100k worth of Fb ads during an election campaign. What these links show is political interference on an incredible scale, and the kind US would never tolerate in a million years.
And don’t pretend that this is about spreading democracy, it’s about spreading US hegemony. US doesn’t even have democracy at home, how can it possibly spread it anywhere else:
Having a foreign power take over and run your government isn’t what self determination is. Self determination fundamentally starts with having sovereignty, and having a foreign power drive your political system is literally the opposite of that.
I have no disagreement with calling our system an oligarchy. It’s part of why I’m pro-socialism.
Money isn’t the only thing driving the oligarchy, but it’s way up there on my list.
Profound, immeasurable wealth is a blight and a hallmark of poor mental health.
Well that’s something we can agree on. Politics of any society that allows mass wealth inequality will end up being captured by those who have the wealth. The only way to have a just society is by limiting inequality. And in my view, Americans should not run around the world and interfere in other countries pretending to do it for some grand standing purposes like spreading democracy while their own society is profoundly sick. Fix yourselves and stop playing world police. Let other countries deal with their own problems, and we’ll all be in a better place.