This is my response to a friend that had questions of America's involvement around the world and here reference to Tom Mullen's Blog "Fighting For Our Freedom?"
"The article you are referencing is interesting, but may be a bit simplistic. Between the end of WWll and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the U.S, Soviet Union and, to some extent, China have all been involved in a war by proxy. Korea and Vietnam, much like Greece in the late 1940's, was a part of that war. The seeds of these confrontations were actually sown during the Bolshevik Revolution during WWl Russia and Lenin's support of Karl Marx's theory of collectivism and the artificial demise of Capitalism. During the 1920's and 1930's a strong and prolonged attempt was made to influence and build a power base within the U.S. by the American Workers Party (which American Socialist and Communist formed in 1933), which was financially and ideologically supported by Lenin's successor Soviet Dictator Stalin and the Soviet Politburo. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies routinely infiltrated this organization and others like it, in order to keep direct surveillance on their activities.
You are probably wondering what this has to do with the war by proxy that was previously mentioned, right? It was during this time that the direct competition of two diametrically opposed philosophies began to shape many Americans world view, especially in the aftermath of Stalin's genocide of over 14 million Ukrainians, through starvation. WWll and it's aftermath galvanized this world view that Communism was a fundamental enemy to the Western and, most notably, the American way of life and must be defeated. This view was further supported by the Soviets secret agreements with Hitler's Germany. These agreements allowed for the invasion of Poland by both Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. The two countries would split Poland in half, with the Soviets taking the eastern half. In exchange for this, Stalin agreed that Germany could annex Austria and invade France and other Western European counties. To Stalin's surprise, Germany decided to push the Soviets out of Poland and occupy the whole country themselves
During WWll the U.S. and other Allied powers formed an alliance with Soviet Russia. Massive amounts of armaments and supplies were shipped to the Soviets through America's Lend Lease Program, of which were never paid back by the Soviets. A very successful propaganda campaign by government officials was waged on the American public, depicting the Russians as close friends and allies (which was far from the case). At the meetings at Yalta and later Potsdam, the Russians agreed that the formerly occupied countries of eastern Europe were to be allowed to form their new governments freely and independently. Of course Stalin reneged on these agreements and the course was set for what the world knows as the Cold War. A few well known events that were part of the cold war confrontations were the Berlin Airlift, The collapse of National forces in China and their retreat to Taiwan (which Communist China still claims), the invasion of South Korea by Chinese and North Korean forces, the blockade of the Suez Canal, the Communist take over of Cuba and the placement of Soviet Nuclear missiles within 90 miles of Florida, the building of the Berlin Wall and American and Soviet confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie, the Arab-Israeli conflicts (including the standoff at the port of Haifa between U.S. and Soviet Naval Forces and subsequent SR71 overflights of Arab territory) and their oil embargo against the U.S. in 1973, the conflicts in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and numerous confrontations in Latin and South America and Africa.
The theory of the" Domino Effect" would soon take center stage as the United States became engaged in different regions around the world. This theory was the belief that Communist forces, and other forces less favorable to the U.S., would slowly and systematically consume the world's countries and the above mentioned conflicts were very much a part of this. The world had witnessed 2 terrible wars in the 20th century. Estimates put the total dead in WW1 at over 17 million people and over 70 million died during WWll, the total number dead during these two conflicts was close to 100 million or 5% of the worlds population of 2 billion.
It was determined by U.S. politicians and Military planners that it would be easier and cost less American lives to engage our adversaries in different areas of the world, then to try and fight an all out war.
Not only were there ideological differences, there were competition for raw materials that fueled the conflicts and still do to this day. One of the most important raw material is oil. Most people do not understand how dependent our country and all other developed countries are on this one particular raw material. Our society is driven by oil. Oil is not only used to produce electricity and power all forms of transportation, it is the bases for everything we use in our daily lives. All of the plastics used for food storage is made from oil. The computers, cell phones, flat panel TV's, automobiles and even feminine protection products rely on oil in the production and manufacture of the plastics and fibers used.
That brings us to the point of why it is often called "fighting for our Freedom" and it's relationship to the invasion of Iraq and the containment of Iran. We are fortunate enough to live in a country where we can do and say what we want as long as it does not infringe on anyone Else's freedom. We live a life of opulence compared to the majority of people living on this earth. You and I very rarely go without food, shelter and warmth. We own and drive vehicles that people in other parts of the world would kill for. Do you think that for one moment you would do without all of the things we call necessities, but others call luxuries? Tom Mulligen, writing in his blog about "Fighting for Freedom" questions our use of force around the world, what he fails to mention is the billions of dollars our country has spent around the world in lieu of fighting to enhance the human condition . He also fails to mention that he has and is reaping the rewards of our armed conflicts. In other words he, himself, has accepted the things in his life that are tainted by the blood of those that have fought and died on our behalf and of the enemy soldiers and civilians as well, to secure the things that keep our economy and our lives sailing along."
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