2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: The Iranians are not MY enemy. [View all]cprise
(8,445 posts)especially since most US aid deals have stipulations that earmark large chunks for military spending. Of course, the Europeans are connected to a vast continent (really continentS) and don't want waves of refugees pouring over their borders.
US aid usually embodies this thought:
"We like this crop of leaders. Here is a coupon you can spend with our military contractors so you can remain leaders."
As for pretending the US establishment is a "scourge": Most of the global South is starting to destabilize to such an extent that there is no end in sight to the refugee crises we're seeing now. This has happened while the US was the self-appointed "world policeman", what is called the "uni-polar world order". This is happening on our watch and it has a lot to do with our preference for arming religious extremists.
So, yes, the US establishment is a scourge. It has even turned our colleges into a debt-generating scam on a scale that makes educators in other countries drop their jaws in shock.
Its also worth mentioning that Hillary Clinton has consistently preferred intervention and escalation in the ME. She also is pro-intervention in Central America. Maybe you think that is a path to peace and prosperity, but I don't.