> US and other developed nations imposed economic sanctions on
> India and Pakistan in 1998 after the nuclear tests. Is this
> not a threat? Perhaps Indian nukes are illegitimate and those
> belonging to P-5 nations are legitimate ones?
>
> > I do not think that most nations will loose much sleep over the
> > possibility of being invaded by the US.
>
> The Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and the US response to
> it, proved to be complete disasters from Indian point of
> view. The US intervention in Iraq may strengthen Islamic
> fundamentalism, instead of reducing it.
I did not argue that US is an international benevolent do gooder. In fact I argued against such a concept of world power. My point was that the US acts in enlightened self-interest in countries it occupied (menaing rebuilding their economic and political instiutions in acertain mold). That is very much different from from the "ususal" pattern of occuation, which often leaves plunder, genocide and scorrched earth. That does not imply that the US policies did not have negative impacts on other countries (intentionally or not) - it simply means that the US pursues its interest abroad by building favorable instiutions rather by exterminating conquered people.
Wojtek