For much of its history, the United States government has explained or
defended its intervention in the affairs of other nations by framing
such behavior as necessary to “promote
democracy” abroad and to thwart the advance of “evil dictators.” While
the use of those phrases have hardly dwindled over the years,
establishment figures have been forced to admit that about
three-quarters of the world’s dictatorships currently receive military
assistance from the United States.
