Blum's book, Killing Hope, first printed in 1995, is a much larger and more comprehensive and scholarly work that this, but Freeing the World to Death, 2005, is just as powerful in presenting its premise- that US foreign policy is not, and hasn't ever been, what most Americans think it's cracked up to be. From the introduction: There's a story about Mae West showing her luxurious home to someone who said "My goodness, what a gorgeous home you have," and West replied "Goodness has nothing to do with it." Which is what I try to make people understand about American foreign policy. The greatest myth concerning those policies, the conviction that most often makes it a formidable task for people like myself to get Americans to accept certain ideas, is the deeply-held belief that no matter what the United States does abroad, no matter how bad it may look, no matter what horror may result, the American government means well. American leaders may make mistakes, they may blunder, they may even on the odd occasion cause more harm than good, but they do mean well. Their intentions are always honorable. Of that Americans are certain. They genuinely wonder why the rest of the world can't see how generous and self-sacrificing America has been. Even many people in who take part in the anti-war movement have a hard time shaking off some of this mindset; they think, or would like to think, that government just needs to be prodded back to its normal benevolent self. Then, William Blum lays out the irrefutable facts.
I can remember a recording made back around 1972 , where this guy is talking about how America always comes to the aid of every single thing and on and on. Like America is the dad of the world and never asks for any assistance in any way. It was the beginning of the end.
I've posted this link before, but in case you missed it, it is a long rant about the Trump-Russia issue from Debbie Lusignan, The Sane Progressive. What I love more than the content is that because she apparently feels betrayed she is seriously pissed off, and her spirit and her earnestness is kind of invigorating- the fact that someone really cares. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEXXIHlVnZY
