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spwa4yesterday at 8:56 PM8 repliesview on HN

You do realize that the Axis (Nazi Germany, Japan) were attacking everyone with the explicitly stated goal of conquering the world (and subjecting it to the holocaust, we might add), and US stopped them, conquered Europe, North Africa, half the Pacific, and nothing has been able to stop the US military since.

And the US ... retreated.

We might add, the Soviets, the other axis, did not retreat. China did not retreat. Both of them started killing people to keep their conquests.

I mean, there's no shortage of stuff that the US did wrong and US made mistakes. This was not one of them.


Replies

cogman10yesterday at 9:25 PM

The US did not retreat. We fought multiple wars to maintain our power and influence. We toppled multiple regimes to maintain puppet governments. Very much the same as the USSR and China have done.

Vietnam, Korea, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, etc.

US conquest was quiet similar to British conquest. They didn't make their conquered people citizens (that'd make things tricky for exploitation) so instead they make sure the "democracies" they spread elected the right leaders who just so happen to align with US interests.

There's a reason the US has military bases across the globe. It's not because they've retreated from their subservient states.

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blksyesterday at 10:54 PM

US did not stopped Axis alone, Allies did. Even in Pacific Soviet participation was very important in defeating Japan.

And the US did not retreat, it kept its military all across Europe (and the world), brought its nuclear weapons to Europe (not for the Europe, but for the US to be used with Europe as a launching pad).

oblioyesterday at 9:21 PM

I think OP is talking about the current administration.

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yndoendoyesterday at 9:32 PM

Most simplistic would be _Divide and Conquer_ (Axis) vs _United we stand, divided we fall_ (Allie). This administration is going down the divide and conquer path.

I recommend _Culture in Nazi Germany_ by Michael H Kater. [0] The current US administration has numerous similarities to 1930s Germany. The way they support banning books and the treatment of the LGBT+ community. Working to take over media organizations with proponent operatives, financial corruption, and _please the leader_ are also present in both. There are more ... read the book for them.

[0] https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300253375/culture-in-naz...

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reactordevyesterday at 9:11 PM

My point was that this administration seems to like the axis plan more than the original US/Allied plan. I'm fully aware of which side was which. Tell that to Hegseth and Miller.

keyboredyesterday at 10:12 PM

They didn’t even retreat from places like Italy because... the communists might be successful. So the CIA backed fascists to sabotage them.

And the US ... retreated. harumph And interferred, and supported right-wing militias, and invaded countries by themselves, and supported coups, and so on.