For all of recorded human history, when someone was told, “Soldiers are coming,” it was a warning. Full of fear. For a bit over a century, when someone says, “The Americans are here,” it’s usually a shout of joy. Real relief – with important exceptions. Let’s set aside the exceptions for a moment and consider why “The Americans Are Here!” matters.
The United States of America became a world power during the Spanish-American War at the dawn of the 20th century. It wasn’t a deliberate choice but, rather, a circumstance of nationhood, when the country became one of the most powerful nation-states on the planet. By every measure of power – population, resources, economy, size, etc. – except for its small Army, the U.S. was a world power.
A country with such power is inevitably drawn into the affairs of international relations. Neutrality isn’t a possibility for great powers. Thucydides made the point about middling powers during war time in ancient Greece. The Melian Dilemma means one side or the other will make “neutrals” choose a side.
So, the U.S. has embarked on foreign wars, interventions, incidents, and alliance, invasions, and suffered attacks – one after another since 1898.
Yet, after the imperialistic acquisitions of that war and the Panama Canal treaty, the U.S. has not added a square foot of soil to America.
Moreover, since WW II when the U.S. moved from world power to one of two Super Powers and since the end of the Soviet Union when the we became the sole Super Power, America has had imperial responsibilities without imperial ambitions. With mixed results.
In times of war, disaster, famine, and pandemic most of the world thrilled to the report of soldiers if the answer to “Who is it?” was “The Americans are here.” That’s what goodness America means to much of the world.
A U.S. Army military attaché told me a story about his first tour in Romania soon after the fall of the Iron Curtain. He was asked to go to gathering of Romanian veterans out in the boonies. Remember, the U.S. and Romania were briefly on the same side during World War I. We weren’t allies after that until Romania joined NATO. The Army officer, who was a captain in the mid-90s, said when the old WWII vets – who fought as Axis Allies – saw him in uniform they surged to him, crying, and saying “We knew it. We always knew America would come!” Why did they think so? Because America stood for freedom.
But, since freedom isn’t free, if opponents have more will to win than the U.S. allies, they’ll win. Witness the debacles in Vietnam, Lebanon in the 1980s (as opposed to the successful intervention in 1956), ISIS for a period of time, and 20 years in Afghanistan.
Consider the mixture of abuses of power in Latin America and the Caribbean and limited successes in stopping Communism and Cartels.
If Russia invades Ukraine and/or China invades Taiwan, the U.S. can neither stay neutral nor be expected, perforce, to defend – despite the bi-lateral defense treaty with the Republic of China. War is a grave decision. Pun intended.
May the dogs of war not slip their chains until a new President and Administration truly can lead the U.S.A. May the war drums stay silent until the “woke” politicization and purges are reversed and real warfighters fill the ranks. May the U.S. act wisely and rarely – and only when the people will shout with glee, “The Americans are here!”
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