Speak softly & carry a big stick- President Theodore Roosevelt

[yaesu]

Big Stick diplomacy was used from about 1901 to get our way with other countries, mostly with South & Central America. It worked to a degree but left countries damaged, both politically & economically. Fast forward to 2001 & the Big Stick diplomacy mutated, bypassing the carefully mediated negotiations & went right for the big stick.

We have been using that mutated version for the last 2 decades, it doesn't work, it never will work. Carrot diplomacy will but its too late for US. China, Arab Emirates & other will use the carrot to do their version of nation building & I hope it works out for both them & Afghanistan.

[DFW]

1. That's TALK softly (actually, "speak" is how TR put it)

TR's idea was not one of initiated conquest. His own words were ""the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis." I.e. crises were things to react to and plan for, not create ourselves. Compared to Cheney and Bush, Jr., TR had pretty much the opposite in mind.

[Klaralven]

2. The Spanish American War of April 21 - August 13, 1898 is a decisive point in American history

It is a point at which we came of age as an imperialist power.

It was a lovely little war that began with Admiral Dewey's sneak attack on the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay before they were aware of any declaration of war, an event that the Japanese later studied.

It resulted in a new American Empire including the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam, as well as a considerable influence over newly independent Cuba.

[Kid Berwyn]

3. "Money trumps peace." -- George w Bush, Feb. 14, 2007

That is a line stretching from Manila through everywhere Smedley Butler went to the present day.

Heh. Heh. Heh.