Twilight of Empire

The whole world knows that we covet no territory, announced Herbert Hoover. Or was it Dwight Eisenhower who said that? (The United States does not covet a single acre of land that belongs to another.) Or perhaps John F. Kennedy (This nation does not covet the territory of any people), Lyndon Johnson (We threaten no regime and covet no territory), Gerald Ford (America covets no one else's land), or Ronald Reagan (We Americans covet no foreign territory)? The disavowing of territorial ambitions is a hallowed, bipartisan presidential tradition, like pardoning a Turkey at Thanksgiving or hosting the annual Easter egg roll.