I a general sense, what you say seems ok. I would question the reality of US investing to clean up or improve the lot of affected people (such as Iraqis after an invasion). We need to recall that Iraq to some degree was suffering because of US led sanctions designed to cripple the country & bring down Saddam.

Vietnam suffered 20 years of a kind of 'revenge' and is behind most other parts of Asia in prosperity & recovery, which is only now occuring because US would rather mute any Vietnamese hostility at a time when the country can be used as a hedge against their tradidtional foes the Chinese.

An insight into your perspective is Nth Korea. Here in Asia there is a strong perception that NK was finally coming out of its isolation & if handled carefully would eventually have to become a responsible citizen. The view is that NK got forced into a corner by US and decided to get beligerent as its only available lever to get aid. I am no supporter of NK or its 'dear' leader - he to me is worse than Saddam by any long shot. But, I am begining to believe that NK may be justifiably putting the torch on the US as the instigator of new tensions in the region (I never believed I would find my self saying anything in support of NK).
Part of our problem in looking at NK is that many of us find it easier to think, "just NUKE the bast**** and get it over with" but anyone one with half a brain knows hoe pathetic a strategy that would be today & the devestating effect it would have on neibouring countries & world stability. Again, the prevailing (and seemingly correct) view here in Asia is that US is actually handling NK properly now that it has reacted to past approach, but that the Iraq folly is the transparent deed that is feared will create more anti-US sentiment than is needed or healthy.

Anyway, in support of your gneral views, I am one of those who believed that Reagan's tough stance against Soviets, had more to do with the falling of the berlin wall & the collapse of the Soviet empire than any other single deed such as their Afghanistan adventure. It is not lost on me that the same advisers who engineered Reagan's policies are the same people who were behind Bush 1 & now W. But, I never felt that the first 2 had to lie as much as W is doing (specificalyy re Iraq & why it will be invaded).

Cheers

Doug