Les, with all respect ... I`d prefer if we leave the politics far far away from this forum ... the US does not have a good track record.
I tend to think of politics as partisan stuff within my country, and not international politics. Whether that's reasonable or not is one question, but in my opinion, a brutal invasion conducted for no reason doesn't seem within the realm of normal politics at all. It's just wrong. It's also wrong for a country like China to appease Russia and promote its lies.
However, yes, you did say something false: Your reference to the US not having a good track record is demonstrably untrue.
Without the US and its policy of Lend-Lease to sustain Britain and the Soviet Union in the early years before we entered WWII, Europe would still be under Nazi hegemony. This was acknowledged by Churchill and by Stalin in a speech to the Politburo. In fact, without the US leading the victory against Japan, 1/3 of china would be under a brutal Japanese rule, or at least a Japanese puppet state. Axis-controlled and occupied territory included Slovenia (Nazi Germany, Italy and Hungary).
Without the Marshall Plan, which was offered not only to so-called 'Western' nations, but also to Eastern Europe (and declined due to Russian influence and communist takeovers), there would have been decades-long instability and poverty in Europe after WWII. The US is the underpinning bulwark of NATO and SEATO, two alliances that have done much to prevent more World Wars - after 1945 there was nearly 80 years of peace in Europe until the Ukraine invasion - and are largely helpful to world peace. Slovenia joined NATO in 2004, and enjoys our protection from countries like Russia.
Ask yourself this: Would you want the US to walk away from these alliances, and walk away from the UN and its organizations, leaving the rest of the world alone, to fend for themselves? Lots of folks here would be happy to do just that (I'm not one of them).
The US has been a huge support for the UN, the World Bank, the IMF, the World Health Organization, and many others.
It's difficult to argue with the proposition that Saddam Hussein's attempt to take over Kuwait was a violation of international law, and without the US it wouldn't have been prevented.
Love or hate the Afghanistan result, it's pretty clear that the Taliban government allowed terrorists to inhabit its territory unmolested, resulting In the 9-11 attack on New York, and there certainly would have been others all over the globe.
The US' contribution to the defense of Ukraine absolutely dwarfs the contributions of other countries, both in dollars so Ukraine can operate as a country and feed its people, and in military hardware. We just passed authorization for tens of billions more in help of various kinds. Certainly Slovenia has done much for refugees, and has helped in many ways, but where would Ukraine be without US support?
Yes, it can be shown that from time to time, the US has erred. The US will continue to err, as will all countries run by human beings. We are far from perfect. But. We. Try.
The US has shown itself over many decades to be more of a positive force in the world for stability and peace than a destabilizing force like Russia, and increasingly, China. You may or may not like us, but our hearts are more often than not in the right place, and it's our military power that does a pretty good job of helping to deter aggression in the world, saving other countries from having to expend their national treasures and lives doing so.
I'm kind of tired of criticism of my country. Ask yourself whether your own country has done more to prevent aggression and help the entire world where it's needed before criticizing mine.
The US should be thanked, not admonished, for its worldwide presence - goodness knows it has cost us treasure, blood and sacrifice in many different eras, and in many places. Does a stable world help the US? Certainly. It also helps the vast majority of countries in the world, and has served humanity in mostly positive ways.
Moreover, I don't have to be a xenophobe or nationalist to show a little national pride. That said, I'm not angry with you, because the US is the object of criticism all the time, in spite of the good we do, and because people who aren't historians tend to have very short memories.
