Any Peloponnesian War experts around here?

Then how do explain the policy of Corinth? After the Peace if Nicias they were pretty much isolated.  And how do you explain Argive animosity towards Sparta? It was not because Argos aligned with Athens, it's because they wanted Cynouria back from Sparta.  These two examples have nothing to do with mafia-like protection because neither sought protection from Athens or Sparta.  Argos aligned with Athens only because they were tricked by Sparta and saw that the newly formed Spartan-Boeotian alliance was a threat to their democracy.  In other words, they weren't forced to go along. It was self-interest.  I guess one point I'm trying to make is that Athens wasn't the imperialistic "bad guy" as many seem to think they were.

The Argives were upset that Sparta wouldn't let them be a major player on the Peloponnese.  The Spartans accepted the rise of Athens and to a lesser extent Corinth, but they were not interested in any one polis jeopardizing their regional hegemony.  If any polis seemed on the verge of threatening Sparta's position, they pre-emptively acted.  The Peloponnesian War was a pre-emptive strike against Athens who threatened to negate Sparta's military supremacy on the land with their wall fortifications.  Sparta viewed her actions as self preserving of the status quo (basically the ancient world's version of detente).