SHOULD THE WORLD FEAR THE U.S.?

By James A. Lucas, member, Veterans for Peace 

*The U.S. possesses about 7,500 nuclear warheads in various parts of the world.

*The U.S. is the only nation to ever use atomic/nuclear weapons, having
 dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and a second one on Nagasaki in 1945,
 killing about 200,000 people. President Truman lied to the American people by
 stating that those cities were military targets.

*The U.S. maintains about 1,000 military bases abroad.

*From 1945 to 2005 the U.S. tried to overthrow over 50 foreign governments.

*Since the end of the Second World War the U.S. has been involved in the
 assassinations of (or the planning of) 48 political leaders in 28 nations.

*As of 2005, American armed forces were deployed in over 100 countries.

*President Johnson escalated the Vietnam War by falsely claiming that our ships
 had been attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin by South Vietnam ships.  About 3
 million Vietnamese and 50,000 Americans died in that war.

*Two million Iraqis and many Americans have died in two wars initiated by the
 U.S. against Iraq within 15 years.  The second war started because of the false
 claim by the U.S. government that Iraq had nuclear weapons.

RECENT U.S. ACTIONS TO EXTEND ITS REACH AROUND THE WORLD:

*Bombed Libya.

*Launched CIA drone attacks into Pakistan that have killed over 2,000 people.
 The U.S. has over 50 drone launching sites around the world.

*Announced the stationing of a contingent of about 200 military personnel in
 Australia as part of a plan to encircle China. That number will be increased.

*Established an Africa command (AFRICOM) to coordinate efforts to gain access
 to the natural resources on that continent and establish military bases there.
 Its headquarters is located in Germany, since no African nation will host it.

* In 2008 the U.S. 4th fleet was given the mission of patrolling the waters near
  South and Central America. Leaders in Cuba and Venezuela have objected.