berman@ihuxm.UUCP (Rational Chuzpah) (09/12/84)
> > >I wasn't aware that the US had recently invaded any "allies" for >disagreeing with it on political matters. The only US military >actions in the last 40 years have been in response to invasions >by Soviet troops or agents. > > Wayne > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The catch phrase "...or agents..." is the real Reaganite Orwellian Catch. Peasants uprising against hunger and an oppressive oligarchy in El Salvador are re-defined as "Soviet agents." Massive US military assistance, including direct US military involvement, (1984) becomes a "response" to a fantasied Soviet involvement. Invasion of tiny Grenada (1983) becomes justified as a "response" to non-existent Soviet agents. Military aid and training to the despised Somocistas trying to overthrow the Nicaraguan government (1982-1984) is justified because the Nicaraguans are not merely Nicaraguan, they're "agents" (of who???, why of the 'focus of evil'! of course!) U.S. Marines invading the Dominican Republic (1965) to overthrow a popular reform government becomes justified as only a "response" to a fantasied Soviet involvement. CIA overthrow of a reform-minded Guatemalan government (1954), is merely a response to non-existent Soviet agents. The list goes on: US direct or covert military intervention in Iran, Lebanon, Congo, Chile... all over the last 40 years, all in the name of a "response" to "Soviet agents". What crimes cannot be committed in the name of a response to these all-pervasive "agents"? What crimes cannot be committed when one views the world as a John Wayne movie? Andy Berman -----------------------------------------------------------------
brener@milrat.DEC (09/19/84)
WAYNE, I too sincerely hope that you decide to research the history of Central America, soon. Bitter Fruit is an excellent book, and i can't comment on Penny Lernoux's book, but i do know that from reading various articles of hers i would reccommend her too. But what would really be enlightening is a book called "Dollars and Dictators" published by Grove Press written by the Resource Center in 1984. This book would give you a superbly documented factual insight into the *political economy* of Central America. Hopefully, after you have read these books you will see that these movements need no external help to mobilize, nor are they a series of mishaps, they are a logical, inevitable sequence of events. steve
brener@milrat.DEC (09/20/84)
P.S. WAYNE, Strangely enough you were right when you said that "Without our backing most of the non-Leninist-Marxist governments wouldn't last very long." How correct, these dictatorships would soon collapse! steve