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were the dominant economic players, the American policymakers presented their smiling and reasonable faces to the world,avoiding any unpleasant confrontations except when confronted by extreme circumstances.The emphasis was always on working with allies in NATO, through the U.N. and other international agencies.
As American fortunes dwindled and corporations are finding it increasingly harder to assert their market dominance,the harsh military face is becoming more and more apparent.Starting with Nixon's policies in Latin America,Reagan's continuation of those policies and Bush the Elder's expeditions into Panama and Iraq, the world increasingly saw the grim visage of American Imperialism.
The latest chapter in this story of the transformation of the U.S. from economic to military imperialist seeking to loot the oil resources of other countries is being written in Iraq and may well be followed by Iran, the Caspian Basin countries, some West African nations and, may even involve Saudi Arabia if the compliant royalty there falls victim to native revolutionaries.
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