When the US invaded Iraq, I read about the history of how the US installed Saddam Hussein to control what was going on in that country, and ostensibly to be a foil to Iran. Then we went in and deposed him, took his gold, and — I’m sure — installed a bunch of sycophantic leaders to make sure we continued to get their oil for a good price. We also armed the brave Mujahideen — popularized in Rambo 3! — to fight against the Russian colonizers in Afghanistan… who went on to hold out against not only the Russians for 20 years, but also the US for another 20.
(Archived, in case of deletion.)
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if our military industrial complex just… stopped faffing about in the rest of the world. At least for a time, right? Since WW I, we’ve never stopped. I say we try it on for size, and see how it looks in the mirror.