Peter, I don't know everything, and without a doubt, I would learn from you and your areas of expertise. However, I’m judging the US and Western media — not you. We’re provided one narrative, and this narrative is our basis for understanding the world. Seeing the world from another view is extremely difficult, and my response isn’t an opinion. It’s not a personal attack, but it is frustration, and it’s not aimed at you.

Pointing out the horrors of the US doesn’t mean I support another nation’s atrocities, nor does it require choosing a less bad global empire. If addressing the US’ dark history is intellectual bullying, how does anyone learn, and why is someone’s knowledge offensive? The people impacted by US interventions aren’t going to speak positively of the US. Venezuelans who have fled their homes searching for food and medicine aren’t going to be grateful for the sanctions, and why do negative remarks about the US make Americans angry?

If we want a democratic country, learning all the history would help, but the US government is hell-bent on maintaining the image we are the nice guys. US imperialism is real, and I hate “cancel culture,” but everyone should want to cancel the US — unless you own a corporation extracting natural resources.

PS “cancel culture” and the class who use it are analyzed in Catherine Liu’s book, Virtue Hoarders: The Case against the Professional Managerial Class. If you haven’t read the book or know about it and get a chance, listen to an interview with her on a podcast discussing it. She’s amazingly crass and a breath of fresh air. Oh, and I'm not too fond of David Brooks. Sorry.