>True (and tragic), but the discussion was not about the U.S. overthrowing a government (or backing the overthrow of a govt), but also absorbing that country into the U.S. as a state (as in annexing Hawaii which occurred without military action).

But then, what would be the point of doing something like that? The vast organizational and logistic cost is reason enough to give the idea up. Imagine just rewriting all the places where the states are listed, reissuing so many passports, etc etc.

It's much simpler to just buy a government, or twist-arm it to pass the bills giving US corporations a free hand. And the poor country still has to care about its own people, army etc etc - at its own cost. Much, much more efficient.

It's no wonder the merger idea came about in case of Canada. It's just too big to have a puppet regime installed.