quote:
Originally posted by VW:
The info provided was great. I am still looking for some sort of list beyond the Marshall plan, such as Cuba, Chile etc. I am really looking for our involvment in countries that you never hear about.
Unfortunately, the US has not had much luck involving itself quietly in other countries.
Since WWII, we have been instrumental in building Israel. Opinions vary on what sort of government they have. It's legislature is elected, but from a restricted set of parties, and with some limitations on the voting franchise, and some have doubts about the influence of the legislature on the actual proceedings of the government.
After the war, we pretty much withdrew from Iran for a few years, but, with Soviet influence growing there, and the UK requesting our assistance, we went back and arranged a coup that established one of the longest lived and most brutal dictatorships of the post war era.
Shortly after, in 1956 or so, Eisenhower sent the Marines to Lebanon, and put their civil war on hold. It remained on hold until it became clear to the Lebanese that we would probably not be invading any other small countries for a while, but fighting broke out in Beirut within 48 hours of the fall of Saigon in '75.
In Vietnam, we established, and deposed, a succession of dictators to facilitate our unsuccessful attempt to prevent the reunification of that country following it's very prolonged war for independance.
You mentioned Chile. The US role in overthrowing their constitutional democracy has been pretty well established, I think.
We helped to establish Chiang Kai-Shek in Taiwan, after the Chinese gave him the boot. I can't say what sort of government they have now, but while he lived, it remained a dictatorship.
Other examples of US interference abroad abound, in the last half century. If our intent is to create or strengthen democracy, we probably need to rethink our technique, as the results present a pretty sorry record.
Alan Moore
