That's not a bad take on things...but be careful posting stuff like that, because it makes Russia and the U.S. look like they're playing from the same playbook.

"During the USSR era its leadership used to divide the international terrorists into categories; "freedom fighters" and "radical elements". The first served Moscow's geopolitical interests and received its support. The others, acting against the USSR, or declining to accept its sponsorship, were labeled "terrorists". Today Moscow's policies and methods are identical."

In the Middle East, Central America, South America, and Africa...that above quote is the U.S. foreign policy to a "tee"...and to make it even more interesting, folks usually go from "freedom fighters" to "terrorists" after they stop playing ball with us...we give them guns, troops, training, and technology for their "freedom fight", and then when they don't become US bootlickers, they get re-labeled as "terrorists", and we invade them, fighting against the very technology, weapons, and training that we gave or sold to them in the previous decade.

Fish on...

Todd

It's called nurturing a potential client dictatorship.

AKA Neo-colonialism.
The US gov't will support any junta, despot, or regime, so long as they continue to buy from US military contractors. It's common for World Powers to extend thier sphere of influence this way, but the US has it down to an art.

(See Nigeria, Nicaragua, Mexico, Phillipenes, Liberia, Zaire, Saddam's Iraq, The Shah's Iran, Haiti, South Vietnam, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia)

It could also be called giving third world people with ambition the benefit of the doubt, which is considerably better than just squashing anybody who wants to better themselves (get a piece of the pie).

Careful Oregonian, common sense is an anathema to some of the resident P&Mers.

And it's better to let them build up a country, and then come in and squash them...how?

Fish on...

Todd

I guess if we let them build up a country first, then go in and bomb the hell out of 'em, it will give Halliburton and Bechtel larger no-bid reconstruction contracts.

Oh...wait a minute...that's right...it's about freedom, not money...my bad.

Fish on...

Todd

LMAO

Jeez, Todd, why do you hate America?