Gordon, are equally as proud of all the times the US has propped up genocidal tyrannical despots, merely because they have opposed the 'commie' threat Or are proud of the times your government has backed terrorists fighting to depose legitimately elected governments
The rise to power of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, as a direct result of CIA operations, must have been a real high point
If your goverment is so pro-democracy, and anti-oppression, why do they continually deny support to the democratically elected government of Taiwan in their quest for diplomatic recognition?
As to Gun Control, both Canada and Switzerland have more privately owned guns per head of population, which indicates to me that the US's problem is more about attitude than availability
I don't mean to argue against you about our mistaken or sometimes misguided support for leaders. But in our defense, foresight is not 20/20:
Here's the CIA's page on Cambodia:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cb.html. It seems that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975 and then began the genocide. The US withdrew from Vietnam in 1973 while Richard Nixon was the president
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/vm.html. I won't verify their timeline, but I'm comfortable that they aren't lying about things that are so easily verified elsewhere. Do you think it would have been popular for us to proceed to go into Cambodia after the public relations debacle we undured with Vietnam? Personally, I think we should have gone in and cleaned up Cambodia, too.
Here's the CIA's page on Taiwan:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tw.html. I'm comfortable with the history that led up to the current situation. In fact, I'll bet the Taiwanese are quite happy about their current American exports.
Also, when we supported Iraq against Iran, Saddam Hussein hadn't yet committed genocide against the Kurds.
Also, when we propped up Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, he was not yet a terrorist, either.
Oh yes, let us not forget the support we provided Winston Churchill, et. al. when we opposed the legitimately elected (and democratically elected) Adolph Hitler.