“Itching to use force and then pretending it’s because we had no choice.” Bill Maher’s summation of American Foreign Policy is more than simply satire. It represents a view of the United States that many outside the Western world share: an over-reaching global hegemon intent on bombing any state not in line with US ideology.
Western neo-colonialism is not simply a threat to the US and their allies’ perceived morality. Revenge is one of the primary motivators for terrorism. It is used both as a driving force for recruitment, and as a legitimisation tool. Until drone strikes and US interventions cease killing innocent civilians (even as collateral damage), and as long as America proceeds with the ‘war on terror‘ Americans will live in fear of terrorist retaliation.
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Interesting to compare and contrast Maher’s position in the video you posted and in this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywIVHt_fOWs
Makes you wonder how much control he has over what he says… I think the view he puts across on each show is largely dependant on the guests.