> its influence extended only so far, and was only so often used to oppose tyranny

America was a major force behind post-War decolonization. It was one of our terms of the European peace.

The US provided lip service to the idea, but quickly became paranoid about the threat of world wide communism and changed its tune relatively quickly. In the places where this wasn't a factor, it wasn't altruism by any stretch, but economic interests. The US saw that a post-colonial world would be fantastic for business...