here's yet another reminder that international relations matter. adopting an "our way or the highway" approach plays well to the knuckle-draggers in the u.s. to them it seems tough and effective in a no-nonsense sort of way. but giving the finger to the rest of the world can also be counter-productive and is often just plain stupid. there's a lot of things that the u.s. cannot do without the cooperation of other countries. sometimes you can bully other countries into doing things in the short term, but that means you're not going to get much help from them after that. burning bridges may be "tough", but eventually you might need to get across that river.
not too long ago, countries throughout africa would have wanted to host a central command. in the 1990s, countries would lobby for similar military outposts, thinking it would bring them closer to the u.s. and generate more aid as the u.s. becomes invested in the country's stability. but now, no one wants it. you're doing a heck of a job, bushie!
