wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

I hope the book is more accurate and more incisive than than Mr Widmer's discussion today. Our taste for expansion began before we were truly independent. Both Benedict Arnold heroic attempt to seize Canada and the clamor for Canadian expansion in the War of 1812 occurred long before the term "Manifest Destiny " had beed used.
Mr. Widmer speaks of the great contribution to liberty that the US made by entering WW1 on the Anglo-French side. If we hadn't intervened, the war would have probably ended in a negotiated settlement and it is reasonable to believe that Germany would not have collapsed and Hitler would have not come to power.

Leonard Lopate repeats the old canard that the US invaded Iraq to get its oil. I wish that the Left believed in "markets"... because if you believe in markets, you realize that we didn't need to invade Iraq to get its oil. The French at that time wanted to lift the Iraq oil embargo (do you accuse them wanting Iraq's oil?) but the U.S. would not go along with it. If we wanted Iraq's oil, wouldn't we have simply lifted the embargo?

The invasion was about regime change. You can be against regime change, that's a coherent position. You can accuse Bush of not wanting Sadam to have the the oil money...

But it's just so irritating to hear that the US did it to get the oil when it's obviously not true.

In other words, why did America want to acquire Cuba? What made Cuba enticing, at the time? Please elaborate.

What was the relationship between the profitability of slavery and America's interest in acquiring Cuba?

Not sure I'm remembering this right--didn't Gen. Grant lead the invasion (or at least some of the invading troops) of what was then Mexico & conclude later that it was wrong?

And as for the US preferring to expand by democratic means, I think a lot of Native Americans/American Indians would disagree. What happened to those who lived in the area sold in the Louisiana Purchase (before & after the sale)?

Hawaii was also taken illegally

Can you compare the idea of "Mainfest Destiny" with "American Exceptionalism?"

AFTER THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION IN 1791.
BEING A BLACK COUNTRY...IS THAT THE REASON THAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR THAT "INSULT" TO THE WHITE RACE..I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR OPINION ON THAT PLEASE.