From Nibble to Fribble: America's Relations with Dictators.
Abstract
Possible responses to the question (whether asked for innocent or ideological reasons) 'Why does the United States prop up dictators' is discussed. Dividing all 160 states of the world into 4 categories (Communist totalitarians, non-Communist totalitarians, democracies, and the others--mostly authoritarian), the discussion analyzes why the United States does not support Communist dictators, why it does support democracies, and why, and on what basis, it interacts with non-Communist dictators and with the other nations. In the latter two categories, United States support is highly selective; the United States supports some, but not others. Projecting influence via various means (including intervention, when invited), the United States attempts to evaluate each case on its merits, including the state of world opinion concerning undemocratic regimes. The primary criterion, however, is always, as it must be, national interests, e.g., considering all factors pro and con, what is the net impact on American national interests of support or nonsupport of each particular regime in each particular country.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 03, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA034392
Entities
People
- Anthony L. Wermuth
Organizations
- United States Army War College