Yes, there was some of that, but the overarching issue was NOT that they might trade with China or Russia, but would become effective outposts of them. See Cuba, which was not only literally happy to host Russian nuclear arms, but Castro even said that they should nuke us anyway.
Or, more recently, Venezuela. Hugo Chavez was (ostensibly) democratically elected, as was Maduro. The result is anything but democratic rule or prosperity for its people. Same for Orban in Hungary, or Putin, or literally even Hitler. Democracies often convert to autocracies. There's a well-worn playbook for it.
We should also look at the results. Zero of these tinpot dictators supported by the US were annexed by the US or any of the 'Free World' powers. The people under those regimes inevitably advanced towards self-governance and prosperity.
Would South Koreans really have been better off under the rule of the Un family vs Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan? North Koreans are literally dying in the streets of starvation, while just south of the DMZ, here is plenty.
Were the Iranians, especially women, better off under the Ayotollahs than under the Shah?
Are the Cubans really better off under the Castro regime than before?
Of course we can compare the world to some ideal and say "everything is sh#t". We must compare it to the real alternatives available.
I'm NOT saying everything was good, and some was very bad, but that does not make the US the worst of all possible worlds. That's reserved for the megadeath leaders like Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pot, Un, etc... If they are not fought at every turn, they WILL take over. As we can see in Ukraine, as well as Tibet, the Uhguirs (sp?), and China's explicit claims on Taiwan. They'll always fabricate some excuse for their next claim.
Or, more recently, Venezuela. Hugo Chavez was (ostensibly) democratically elected, as was Maduro. The result is anything but democratic rule or prosperity for its people. Same for Orban in Hungary, or Putin, or literally even Hitler. Democracies often convert to autocracies. There's a well-worn playbook for it.
We should also look at the results. Zero of these tinpot dictators supported by the US were annexed by the US or any of the 'Free World' powers. The people under those regimes inevitably advanced towards self-governance and prosperity.
Would South Koreans really have been better off under the rule of the Un family vs Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan? North Koreans are literally dying in the streets of starvation, while just south of the DMZ, here is plenty.
Were the Iranians, especially women, better off under the Ayotollahs than under the Shah?
Are the Cubans really better off under the Castro regime than before?
Of course we can compare the world to some ideal and say "everything is sh#t". We must compare it to the real alternatives available.
I'm NOT saying everything was good, and some was very bad, but that does not make the US the worst of all possible worlds. That's reserved for the megadeath leaders like Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pot, Un, etc... If they are not fought at every turn, they WILL take over. As we can see in Ukraine, as well as Tibet, the Uhguirs (sp?), and China's explicit claims on Taiwan. They'll always fabricate some excuse for their next claim.