Regime change might seem straightforward at first. Not so fast, says history. At least when the United States is involved. Washington has a long, complicated past when it comes to regime change. There was Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s, and Panama in 1989. There was Nicaragua in the 1980s, Iraq and Afghanistan in the years after 9/11, and Venezuela just weeks ago. Attempts to usher in U.S.-friendly governments often start with clear intentions. But often those intentions stumble into a political quagmire where democratic dreams turn into civil war and once-compliant dictators become embarrassments.
