This whole chapter so far is such a great case study in what US foreign policy has been ever since, and feels especially relevant today when we've seen a US proxy war in Ukraine, successful regime change in Syria, attempted regime change in Venezuela, intended regime change in Iran, and now even threats against Cuba again. The fact that the US used the rebels' legitimate grievances against the Spanish as an excuse for intervention before completely throwing them under the bus and just becoming the new tyrant should be ringing alarm bells for anyone who thinks the US going in to help overthrow the governments of any of these places is a good idea.

'Cleveland himself assured industrialists that his election should not frighten them: "No harm shall come to any business interest as a result of administrative policy so looking as I am President... a transfer of executive control from one party to another does not mean and serious disturbance of existing conditions."'

It's giving Biden in the 2024 election saying "Nothing will fundamentally change." Amazing how things haven't changed but people in the US still think one party or the other is going to save us.

Two quotes that stuck out to me here: "The American government had set out to fight the slave states in 1861, not to end slavery, but to retain the enormous national territory and market and resources."

Also on page 192: "The principle is not that a human being cannot justly own another, but that be cannot own him unless he is loyal to the United States."

Interesting seeing the parallels in more modern conflicts, especially as the world entered the age of imperialism. The US was never really opposed to German or Japanese fascism at a fundamental ideological or moral level, the way the USSR did; it only fought those specific fascist states because they presented economic competition and kept the US out of their markets. This is demonstrated by the fact that as soon as those countries were defeated, a lot of fascist leaders were put right back into power in places like Western Europe and Korea, and organizations like NATO. Let alone the creation or backing of various US-friendly fascist dictatorships all over South America, Africa, and West Asia.