Venezuela and US Imperialism

Okay then.

 

I'm not sure that Guaido was duly "elected"; if it's true, then I agree with your comments. But it's still up to the Venezuelans to decide about their future.

 

~ I agree with Spooky
However now that the USA is determined to disintegrate sovereignty into a borderless multicultural mess heading toward global government we are not the positive example we used to be.

 

I agree.
What "spiritgite" is refering to is the british type imperialism (it wasn't limited to India as we all know, but included many other countries like Canada-where the British Queen is still the official Head of State, I think- and several countries in Africa and in Asia). The word stands as Britain was actually an Empire, but the most common word for that is "colonialism" which was practiced by a number of other countries of Europe.
Granted, US imperialism is not aimed at becoming colonialism (although the Porto Rico and Hawaï cases are debatable), but the intent of being permanent or at least very long term is clearly there; the aim being to protect US interests as long as necessary by "controling" in one way or another the policy of the targeted territory/country.

 

Well said.

I think that it is unjust for America to project force to defend interests outside of its border. Much of what the CIA did in Latin America was meant to protect American businesses from unfavorable political structures. America should absolutely not be using military force to support the interests of any corporation.

 

Yes, but on the other hand you are all to often since on work to prevent same sort of freedom in other countries.

If a country decides to become socialist or communist ... or to cuddle with one of your arch-opponents, then it is their decision and what right does the USA have to intervene here? No right!

Sure, many others do nothing else on this planet and much more have done in history ... But that is not an excuse or justification for doing it, especially not by force and by the support of dictators at Washington's grace. And that is especially true if you then play the moral angel and advocate of the oppressed elsewhere, like the USA ... but don't do it any differently yourself.

I have to contradict you. It has been the general and universal policy of the USA for 120 or 130 years now and no matter who was President nor if Republican or Democrat...
The originally isolationist attitude of the USA increasingly changed towards imperialist activities towards the end of the 19th century (e.g. occupation of Cuba in 1898, "purchase" of the Philippines and Puerto Rico; 1903 Separation of Panama from Colombia, subsequent construction of the Panama Canal). Since ... more precisely since the so-called "banana wars", no state in Central America has done anything without the consent / approval of the USA, because otherwise the big USA quickly shows these countries that it is not a good idea against the will of the US to act. And there are numerous examples of the latter as you know yourself or can find out quickly.

I just hope that you rate EXACTLY Donald Trump as the same, because he is not a bit better or different.

 

I did. In my early years I was very well indoctrinated by the best of them, the US Army.

Fortunately, I eventually came to my senses.

 

He tried desperately to be. If not for him there would be a shooting war with Iran. Again sir all countries are to some extent expansionist. The former Soviet Union and the current China's were expansionist. The fact that they preferred to work through fifth columns doesn't make it better. Note again all governments are expansionist at least to the level their technology permits, and the more totalitarian the are the more expansionist they tend to be. This is because over the long haul anything they cannot control is ultimately a threat to their rule. That's one reason also why totalitarians tend to take a dim view of Christianity and Judaism. They hate divided loyalties.

 

I haven't seen anything that would put Trump in that bracket, but without question, Hockey Dad's statement below is one I fully agree with.

"Biden is one, if you voted for him, you voted for meddling. And.... you are going to get meddling on a massive scale with Biden. The globalist chicken hawks have been muzzled for four long years, they have a lot of killing and bombing to do... I am guessing about 1.5 trillion dollars worth. Check back with me in four years and see if my estimate was close."

 

And promptly fell for another line of hooey, too bad.

 

Once bitten, twice shy.

I am aware of how the US government has behaved in South and Central America for the last 60 years. It seems you are not aware, or simply don't care. Even worse, it seems you support our criminal policies and actions.

 

Of course, I'm aware. I'm also aware that when left to their devices, as they often have, Central and South American governments haven't exactly covered them selves with glory. I'd prefer that they were left to figure it out for themselves, unfortunately the losers keep coming here for shelter.

 

See "Superimperialism" by Prof Michael Hudson, or for a more accessible treatment of the same phenomenon, "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. Or you could just Google "General Smedley Butler" and start reading.

 

By what authority do WE get to determine how other countries run their government?

 

When their crap keeps washing up on our shores... We've spent the last 100 years being the emergency relief valve for shitty governments South of the border. As long as that exists it appears increasingly necessary if not down right compulsory for reasons of compassion if nothing else to occasionally intervene in the more egregious cases.

 

Ouch! To the point and real.

 

And during those "last 100 years" how many of those "shitty governments" has the U.S. instigated and supported? How many Democratic nations were overthrown by the U.S. (CIA) and then installed a corrupt Despot with blessings from Washington? Think about that and get back to me when you think you are courageous enough to face the facts.

Is it your intention to make me laugh or is that just an inadvertent perk?

 

To your first well less than half. To your second get back to me when your knowledge of history is deeper than a quarter of an inch.

 

You must have been scrambling to find out how many democracies the CIA has destroyed and how many corrupt governments around the world the U.S. has installed. It looks like the only problem you have now is admitting it.

 

Sorry ... but this is crap. Trump did not better at least or is Syria still forgotten? His stupid dangerous game with North Korea what brought nothing at least and was a defeat for Trump at least?
And in general it does not matter if a Republican or Democrat is sitting in White House to do what is by deninition "Imperialism of the US" in the world.

 

Again Sir ...
And the US did not otherway better as USSR or China! And we can also start to discuss who started cold war at least without any reason too.
No, I am neither a supporter of the USSR, nor do I live in a perfect pink world, far removed from any reality ... but it is precisely this idiotic, hypocritical behavior of the USA on the one hand to play the moralist when the local dictator is not from Washington's Ganden is, but without hesitation in other places, to actively and passively suppress the people, democracy and every human right when the dictator is a "man of Washington".
And unfortunately ... really sad and unfortunately it is often the case that these own shameful acts of the USA are completely faded out and ignored in the consciousness of the Americans, even often denied or completely ridiculously justified as OK.

As I said before: No matter which country in Central America or the Caribbean ... none of them (except Cuba) does anything that is against the will of Washington, and certainly not when it teams up with the ore opponents of the USA.
Let's say Mexico with its direct border with the USA starts to cuddle with China ... or Panama with its canal does this. Then that is the case and it is the free decision of independent and sovereign countries ... but you, me and everyone here know that there is a very short countdown until the US military intervenes because of the "geo-strategic interests of the US are at risk "... sorry, but so what?

Conversely, the US doesn't care a crap about these interests of the others and dance around in their strategic front gardens and expect that they will accept that!

 

Dude since the 1960s. There have been three actual military interventions in South America, one if which was a short term rescue operation in Granada whose sole and only purposes was to rescue US medical students, of the two one in El Salvador was at the request of the local government. The other came after the fall of the Samosa government, and consisted of arming local indigenous people against the Sandinistas who were murdering them.

The great failure off the cold war on the US side is that we never found a place between murdering Marxists thugs and the Tyrants on hand that were as bad or worse.

 

You are entitled to label anything you want as crap. I will defend your right to feel crappy, blame things because you feel crappy, call things crap, collect crap, most anything except throwing crap. Once you lay your crap on others, you've crossed the limit with me. Carry on.

 

Sure ...
The point is, sir, you are accusing the Democrats of being warmongers. And with regard to Biden, you fear with your own testimony that he will be very active in this regard.
Why are you ignoring the fact that Donald Trump was no better in his 4 years?
Yes, in the end he withdrew from northern Syria, but at the price that the US has once again completely abandoned a declared ally in the fight against IS - the Kurds - and doesn't give a damn about their future fate. Apart from that, I have to remind you of the continuous fire with cruise missiles, because allegedly poison gas - specifically chlorine gas - was used, for which, by the way, there is still no conclusive evidence?
Do I have to remind you of the saber rattling with North Korea, where it was close to a war and where the whole BS of Trump brought nothing, absolutely nothing ... because nothing has changed in the situation before the saber rattling?
And do I have to start with Iran, where Trump, with his disgusting constant fire of lies and fake news, has massively exacerbated the whole situation?
Or the idiotic and illegal decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, which also helped the situation in ME a lot?

I can mostly agree with your final sentence, but there are some things I find strange about rest and some things are also wrong.
The US students allegedly in danger in Grenada were a total myth ... not to say just fake news!
Since Reagan became US President, the US government has tried to discredit and weaken the government of Greanda under Bishop in a sometimes absurd and shameful way.
US government officials spread rumors in US travel agencies to harm Grenada's tourism industry, one of the country's most important sources of income. The United States made the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international credit institutions withhold loans to Grenada. In the summer of 1981 the CIA developed plans to disrupt Grenada's economy with the aim of undermining Prime Minister Bishop's political control. However, the plans were dropped due to objections from the U.S. Senate. The US government tried through the media to portray Grenada as a close ally of the Soviet Union and Cuba, even though Bishop wanted to remain non-aligned despite the support of the two communist countries ... but for the US was even this support too much of course. Reports of the construction of a Soviet submarine base in southern Grenada were published until 1983 when a Washington Post correspondent visited the site and reported that the construction of a submarine base was completely impossible due to the shallow water. There was also talk of massive arms deliveries through the USSR and Cuba, MIGs, attack helicopters and hydrofoils (speedboats) ... only after the invasion nothing of these weapons was found, just a few old light BTR-60 and BRDM armored vehicles, as well as AA guns of Soviet or Cuban origin.
Even the claim that the airfield was way too big and could only be so big for a planned use by Cuba and / or the USSR was total bullshit. Apart from the fact that absolutely every facility for a military use / partial use was missing, the airfield was co-financed by 20 countries, including Canada, Mexico and a Western European NATO member, many airfields in neighboring Indel countries were just as large and only the USA built it for one military use after the invasion.

So much for facts, truth and reality ... versus fake news from the US government and lies from the White House and the US secret services!

And about US activities since 1960 ... Panama? Chile, Honduras? El Salvador?
It must not be an active mission of US military, the CIA does as usual much of the job by their own

 

International politics is not a multiple choice question where you choose black or white. It is closer to a aggressive poker game, where the options shift with every card and can be anything. There's a time to hold, fold, walk or run. There's a time to be nice, and a time to quit being nice. Nothing is quite what it seems to be on the surface, and especially to the arm-chair strategist who has never been there, never done that, but is always ready to tell leaders what to do. That is the worst possible source of advice, which is why Trump didn't ask you for it.

And you don't come in the door being a bully with a chip on your shoulder. Instead, you speak softly but firmly, and carry a big stick.
Trump's a player. He understands the games.