Why does U.S. claim to "spread Democracy" when our track record is actually the opposite?

[quadriga]

You always hear politicians and Presidents claiming that we are meddling in other countries affairs to "spread Democracy in that region". Our track record is actually quite the opposite. We have actually gone into countries and dismantled democratically elected governments. The CIA has instigated coups, overthrows and violent uprisings in countries like Guatemala, Iran and Chile. These countries all had popular democratically elected leaders. Why do so many NASCAR watching, beer swilling, lazy Americans swallow this line of thinking hook, line and sinker? Are they complicit in the war atrocities that take place in their names around the globe every day? My estimation, YES. Do Americans even think about such things? I would wager not. As long as Sally Housecoat and Joe Sixpack can watch 'Dancing with the Stars' while dining on packaged, processed pizza cooked fresh from the oven then they don't give a shit about anything.

:rant:

[atreides1]

1. Why?

Because lying to Sally Housecoat and Joe Sixpack is so much easier!

[nebenaube]

2. UH...

INGSOC?

[mmonk]

3. Because plunder and pillage sounds bad.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Took The Words Right Off My Fingertips!

I was going to post the exact same thing!
The Professor

[mmonk]

16. Sorry 'bout that.

:-)
Great minds think alike.;-)

[Karenina]

4. DENIAL. It's the American Way!

:-)

[CTyankee]

6. Athens, the world's first democracy, did the exact same thing 2500 years ago!

It was bent on "spreading democracy" to Sicily, esp. Siracusa. At least that's the way they "branded" it, when it was really a land grab to get Sicily's vast natural resources. Athens' disastrous invastion of Sicily, vividly recounted by Thucydides in "The History of the Peloponnesian War", resulted in Athens losing not only its empire but it's democracy, to Sparta, which had the very opposite kind of government to Athens. Athens democracy was somewhat revived a few years later but it never again became so powerful.

Countries that are powerful do what is in their best interests and try to put a nice face on it. This is very different from defeating clearcut aggression, which is what we did in WW2.

[quadriga]

7. And it's clear that a more powerful aggressor can always beat out

another aggressor. My Flying Spaghetti Monster, we really are nothing more than animals.

[El Pinko]

8. The US did spead democracy to Japan and much of Europe after WW2...

...but in the years since, "democracy" has devolved into a euphemism for "right-wing government with some sort of semblance of elections willing to allow US corporations to do as they please".

Sad, but that's the way it is...

[CTyankee]

9. Germany and Japan were ruthless aggressors. That's different from what we are doing

in Iraq, which IMO was conquest for control of oil, pure and simple. Plus, after WW2 we had great enlightened leaders such as George C. Marshall and even Douglas MacArthur (in his role during the occupation of Japan and writing of their Constitution).

[Cerridwen]

10. Because they can. Because many here will "buy" it and agree that we (Americans)

have the "god-given" right to our "manifest destiny" to claim and grab as much of the planet's resources for "our" and "our leaders'" "right" to make a buck, er, prosper.

[madokie]

11. Can't tell the truth now can they

They'd be admitting all sorts of crimes imo

[devilgrrl]

12. I can't think of one democracy we've created.

Nor can think of one corner of earth where we brought about "freedom"

[spanone]

13. it's a bullshit slogan that we use to plunder resources from defenseless nations imho

[The2ndWheel]

14. Sally and Joe have nothing to do with it

What you're talking about is built into organization. Any form of organization will expand and attempt to duplicate itself, as many times as possible. That's no different with America, or any other organized entity, be it a corporation or government, that has ever existed anywhere. Our form of organization either defeated or outlasted all the other ones(the Soviets, the Nazis, the Vikings, Greece, Rome, whatever). If it wasn't us, it would be someone else.

It is built into the structure of society. You, me, Salley, Joe, we can know about it or not, it doesn't matter. Organization doesn't like diversity. What is more diverse; a stack of 50 papers, or 50 papers knocked over onto the floor? Why do we have a single US Government? Why do corporations always end up merging with other corporations?

We tell ourselves that we spread democracy because that's the only way we can live with ourselves. If we didn't do that, America wouldn't exist. It never would've even started.

[quadriga]

19. If we are living off the fat and gristle.

Then we have everything to do with it. We allow it. In our names. And are to put off to be even remotely educated about our own situation. Warfare and conquest contribute to our lifestyle, one that we help perpetuate.

[Iggo]

15. Because we lie.

[L. Coyote]

17. "Spreading Democracy" ius a euphemism for genocide.

Ask the Native Americans in Ohio, if you can find the few that remain!

[goforit]

18. Because the leaders of this country know Americans are true blue dummies.

They believe everything they hear.