Mike Gravel quoted the U.S. as being war hungry drunk. He believes his country is a drunkard who declares war on anyone who poses a threat to them. Additionally, he believes that the United States is an imperialistic nation which is going downhill. This could be true, especially in the case of Great Britain during WWII. Fighting two world wars caused its collapse as an great power.
Examining Mike Gravel’s argument, this article will examine 10 wars where U.S. was a war hungry drunk. It will also explore the reasons why each war was waged on those posing as a threat to them. The article is part 1 of 2 article serious examining the topic from both sides.
1. Iraq War, 2003:
In January of 2002, President Bush identifies Iraq, as well as Iran and North Korea as “axis of evil”. He vows to stop dangerous regimes from threatening the United States with the world’s most destructive weapons. In June of the same year the President examines a new defense doctrine which asserts that the U.S. needs to strike against another state to prevent a potential threat. He proposes a resolution in September of the same year which Iraq would need to comply with. Following this, the congress approved an attack on Iraq and by January 28, 2003, Bush announced his readiness to attack Iraq, despite UN disapproval. This was despite the fact that no weapons of mass destruction found during inspections between October of 2002 and January 28, 2003.
2. Vietnam War:
This war was fought for 19 years with little progress made before the withdrawal. Between 1945 and 1954, the Vietnamese waged an anti-colonial war against France and received $2.6 billion in financial support from the United States; the former eventually won against the latter. Trouble ensued when the South Vietnamese government with American backing, refused to hold the unification elections in 1956. Tensions increased in 1958 when Communist-led guerrillas (the Viet Cong) began to battle the South Vietnamese government. This war between the Vietcong/Soviet Union and the Vietminh/U.S.A. did not end until 1975. The whole purpose was to declare war on those posing a threat to the United States before they strike. The only issue here was that Vietnam was nowhere near the United States and was not fought on US turf. Soldiers died in vain as no victory was declared.
3. World War I:
The United States only entered WWI in 1917. It entered after one of their ships was sunk and once the Zimmermann Telegram was intercepted by the British. The telegram was written to Mexico by Germany as a way to seek assistance to invade the United States. Many critics believe that this was a tactic used by Germany to prevent the United States from supporting the Triple Entente. Others believe that they tried to act like heroes, trying to gain attention for saving a risky and deadly war.
4. World War II:
There was no question in historians’ opinions that Japan would have surrendered once the Axis fell in May of 1945. Many historians believe that the United States desired to claim its rightful status on the international front. They dropped the bomb basically to show who the boss is. They also desired to show the world what technological advancements they had discovered. They were looking for war and found one on a country already weakened by 1945.
5. Guatemala War:
In the 1960s and 1970s, American military helped make Guatemala’s army the sturdiest and most sophisticated in Central America. During the Johnson presidency, the Green Berets (US aids) were sent to Guatemala to renovate the Guatemalan Army into a modern counter-insurgency force. While there, the US conducted a Vietnam –style war. There was, however, an alternative motive for the United States. They were dreadfully afraid to lose their cheap labour, if insurgents took over. The result: mass killings and killing machines of innocent individuals. Was war really necessary? I’ll let you decide.
6. Korean War:
The Korean War was a civil war between two states: North and South Korea, who were backed by the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States extensively assisted South Korea to counter any threats to its country. Again the United States was looking for opportunities to defend other nations against communist threats. The war was not even fought on their soil.
7. War on Terror: Afghanistan
Many scholars believe that this was also another war fought with blood hunger, for good reasons. However, many do not understand the reason behind Afghanistan’s invasions. The insurgents who invaded the United States on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Osama bin Ladin was long gone from Afghanistan at the time of the attacks.
8. Cambodian War:
Here again the United States was thirsty and hungry for blood in 1975-76. There were immersed in beating the Soviet Union to the punch to get other countries on their side. Henry Kissinger to this date fears being arrested for the Cambodia/Khmer Rouge bombing he authorized. Many scholars believed that they were out of control as if were drunk, exhibiting erratic behaviour.
9. Chilean War:
In 1970, Kissinger played a part in the attempted assassination of Salvador Allande, who was a communist and pro-Cuban. When that did not work, the United States tried to equip Agustus Pinochet to overthrow the government in a coup. Many liberal scholars believe that this was another war USA fought erratically in a bid to get as many countries on the democratic side. Pinochet was far from democratic.
10. Native Americans, 1800s:
This applies to the period the Western expansion. The United States was hungry for power and wanted to expand to the West where they found a number of primary resources. When treaties with Native Americans were stopping them, they waged wars and forcibly removed and relocated the natives.
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