And when your principles, in practice, serve only to make more "bullies" and "enemies"?

If that happens, stand up to them too.

What else do you want to do? Lay down and die? Build more sewers and help them elect mullahs? Expand the TSA?

Anyway, you'd be surprised at the degree to which others will actually respect you for standing up to bullying, and winning; and the degree to which appeasement actually fuels more bullying (i.e., terrorism). In practice, what would happen is the opposite of what you think. (But if not, stand up to 'em.)

Your entire premise circles around this concept that some Evil Foreign Groups exist, always waiting for any hint of American weakness to pounce.

Have you ever considered that many of these groups develop as a response to our own neocolonial actions in their backyard?

I'm just giving the medicine to cure a particular disease. What caused the disease is irrelevant; all that is relevant is whether or not the medicine works.

That said, I very strongly oppose occupying foreign countries, the TSA, sacrificing our troops, providing foreign aid to nations that operate concentration camps (NoKo), etc. If I want to oppose these things effectively, I have to propose an alternative. I am.

By the way, I think the term "neocolonial" is stupid. I don't know precisely what you mean by it, but I'm assuming you mean roughly the preceeding paragraph, and I'm stating that my solution should not be considered a part of the imaginary "neocolonial" set of actions, but I don't know if you'll agree with that.

Many people in many countries view the United States as bullies. Should we never be appeased? Never be reasoned with? Never be tolerated?