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If the US "sought" hegemony we would still have it. After world war II, the US emerged as the strongest nation because the vagaries of war barely touched us. We were ill suited for the power, as it was against our basic national character to wield it. We disarmed immediately after WWII, which invited communist aggression on the Korean peninsula. China had a hand in that, as I recall, but it was mostly at the direction of the USSR. The Soviets were expansionist, and it became US policy to oppose and contain the expansion. That is not the same as seeking hegemony. We played chess against the chess masters, and many countries were pawns in our game, but the stakes were very real, and for the US--defensive. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the US was again left as the most powerful country on the planet. Not because we were strong, but because the others were weak. China is now growing in strength unopposed (in any meaningful sense) by the US. Are there 100's of nuclear missiles on Taiwan? Are there 100's of nuclear missiles in South Korea? Japan? Have we armed India and Pakistan (no, but Pakistan got the bomb from China). People love to hate the US, but tossing around buzz-words don't make the accusations true.
If the US "sought" hegemony we would still have it. After world war II, the US emerged as the strongest nation because the vagaries of war barely touched us. We were ill suited for the power, as it was against our basic national character to wield it. We disarmed immediately after WWII, which invited communist aggression on the Korean peninsula. China had a hand in that, as I recall, but it was mostly at the direction of the USSR. The Soviets were expansionist, and it became US policy to oppose and contain the expansion. That is not the same as seeking hegemony. We played chess against the chess masters, and many countries were pawns in our game, but the stakes were very real, and for the US--defensive. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the US was again left as the most powerful country on the planet. Not because we were strong, but because the others were weak. China is now growing in strength unopposed (in any meaningful sense) by the US. Are there 100's of nuclear missiles on Taiwan? Are there 100's of nuclear missiles in South Korea? Japan? Have we armed India and Pakistan (no, but Pakistan got the bomb from China).
People love to hate the US, but tossing around buzz-words don't make the accusations true.
