bcb@hhb.UUCP (Field) (02/13/86)
There comes a time in the life of a political discussion when new avenues of debate must open in order to progress toward the desired goal. Now is such a time. This and subsequent postings attempt to expand the discussion of the Sandinista Problem. This posting states our objective and outlines some of the problems we must overcome to achieve it. Subsequent postings will deal in more detail with these topics. Stated in general terms, our goal is to excise the Sandinistas from Nicaragua in order to establish a stable government that will work in American interests remaining aloof of Soviet-bloc countries. We must restore our hegemony in Nicaragua in order to open it for American corporate investment unfettered by taxation, regulation, or labor organization. We must not lose sight of this objective in spite of the way we steep our rhetoric in such abstractions as Democracy, National Security, Freedom, etc. Military action stands as the only means to this end. There exists no political way to purge Nicaragua of Sandinistas and other leftists. We cannot simply purchase an election as we did for Duarte in El Salvador. The Sandinistas are too well entrenched, too popular for a successful political overthrow. Like Ho Chi Minh and his cadres, they enjoy strong support from peasants, industrial workers, and other poor people. Since their military men are all leftists, we cannot nudge their soldiers into conducting a coup as we did to install Pinochet in Chile. Success in Nicaragua demands military action. At the same time, this popular support makes such action difficult and costly. It encumbers the establishment of the kind of stability needed to attract American investors after the leftists have been removed. I have serious doubts that the CIA and the Nicaraguan counter- revolutionaries alone will succeed in this military endeavor. I recognize that their military activity has done a lot of good. By destroying granaries and industrial facilities, they increased economic pressure beyond the bounds of sanctions. By destroying such leftist institutions as state-run medical and educational facilities and Basic Christian Churches, they damaged the Sandinistas' support infrastructure. By killing foreign health and education workers during these actions, they made such foreigners wary of working for the Sandinistas. By placing such pressure on the Sandinistas, they induced militarism, suppression of dissent, suspension of civil liberties, and dependence on Soviet-bloc countries. This makes the Sandinistas look bad internationally and provides us with leverage in Congress and among Americans. Unfortunately, these actions have been limited to border regions. The Sandinista military has grown too strong for the contras to sweep through the Nicaraguan heartland. This requires much greater military support from us. We must be willing to send our boys into battle. To do this, we must convince the American people and Congress that such action is necessary and just. Although we must act soon to reduce costs, if we act before we achieve this consensus, we could easily become bogged down as we were in Vietnam. Just as Congress constricted our efforts to squelch leftists there, they will constrict our efforts in Nicaragua unless we obtain and maintain popular support. Finally, we must start considering a plan of action for the critical period following the overthrow. As we have seen, Central American leftists are resilient die-hards. This demands a quick extermination campaign while preventing the leftists from fleeing the country. If we are not vigilant, we will wind up with a variety of Abu-Nidal-type bands causing great headaches and threatening the stability of the entire region. We will have to deal with the various labor unions that cropped up under the Sandinistas' pro-union policies. Pacifying this movement is essential to maximizing the profitability of American investments. We will have to dismantle the Basic Christian Churches that would hinder our efforts to create an apolitical and passive work force. We face these problems, but we shall overcome them. We are stronger now with greater resolve to halt this leftist tide that threatens our interests throughout the world. Overcoming this hurdle will strengthen us further. We will be able to restore pro-American/anti-Soviet governments to Cuba, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Southern Africa, and Eastern Europe. Optimistically, F. B. Esdalib Next Posting: A plan of action for the home front. ------------------------------------------------- The views expressed above are not those of my employer, my colleagues, or myself. _ Bob B-Field