Out of the ashes of the Second World War, having witnessed the unthinkable power of the atomic age, the United States has worked with many nations in this Assembly to prevent a third world war -- by forging alliances with old adversaries; by supporting the steady emergence of strong democracies accountable to their people instead of any foreign power; and by building an international system that imposes a cost on those who choose conflict over cooperation, an order that recognizes the dignity and equal worth of all people.
And how did we forge alliances with old adversaries?
One, we defeated them by crushing them while they were our adversaries.
Second, once we won did Truman complain that he inherited wars from Roosevelt (one good and necessary war against Japan and one war of choice in Europe) and that he would responsibly end our wars in Europe and the Pacific, bringing our boys home to let Asians and Europeans solve their problems without our mucking it up?
No. Truman planted our troops in our old (defeated) adversaries of Germany, Italy, and Japan, and made them part of the Western alliance.
Pity we haven't learned our lesson of history. Nuance is so much better.
