A Brief History of U.S. Interventions:
1945 to the Present

by William Blum


The engine of American foreign policy has been fueled not by a devotion to any kind of morality, but rather by the necessity to serve other imperatives, which can be summarized as follows:

* making the world safe for American corporations;

* enhancing the financial statements of defense contractors at home who have contributed generously to members of congress;

* preventing the rise of any society that might serve as a successful example of an alternative to the capitalist model;

* extending political and economic hegemony over as wide an area as possible, as befits a "great power."

This in the name of fighting a supposed moral crusade against what cold warriors convinced themselves, and the American people, was the existence of an evil International Communist Conspiracy, which in fact never existed, evil or not.

The United States carried out extremely serious interventions into more than 70 nations in this period.

China, 1945-49:

Intervened in a civil war, taking the side of Chiang Kai-shek against the Communists, even though the latter had been a much closer ally of the United States in the world war. The U.S. used defeated Japanese soldiers to fight for its side. The Communists forced Chiang to flee to Taiwan in 1949.

Italy, 1947-48:

Using every trick in the book, the U.S. interfered in the elections to prevent the Communist Party from coming to power legally and fairly. This perversion of democracy was done in the name of "saving democracy" in Italy. The Communists lost. For the next few decades, the CIA, along with American corporations, continued to intervene in Italian elections, pouring in hundreds of millions of dollars and much psychological warfare to block the specter that was haunting Europe.

Greece, 1947-49:

Intervened in a civil war, taking the side of the neo-fascists against the Greek left which had fought the Nazis courageously. The neo-fascists won and instituted a highly brutal regime, for which the CIA created a new internal security agency, KYP. Before long, KYP was carrying out all the endearing practices of secret police everywhere, including systematic torture.

Philippines, 1945-53:

U.S. military fought against leftist forces (Huks) even while the Huks were still fighting against the Japanese invaders. After the war, the U. S. continued its fight against the Huks, defeating them, and then installing a series of puppets as president, culminating in the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

South Korea, 1945-53:

After World War II, the United States suppressed the popular progressive forces in favor of the conservatives who had collaborated with the Japanese. This led to a long era of corrupt, reactionary, and brutal governments.

Albania, 1949-53:

The U.S. and Britain tried unsuccessfully to overthrow the communist government and install a new one that would have been pro-Western and composed largely of monarchists and collaborators with Italian fascists and Nazis.

Germany, 1950s:

The CIA orchestrated a wide-ranging campaign of sabotage, terrorism, dirty tricks, and psychological warfare against East Germany. This was one of the factors which led to the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Iran, 1953:

Prime Minister Mossadegh was overthrown in a joint U.S./British operation. Mossadegh had been elected to his position by a large majority of parliament, but he had made the fateful mistake of spearheading the movement to nationalize a British-owned oil company, the sole oil company operating in Iran. The coup restored the Shah to absolute power and began a period of 25 years of repression and torture, with the oil industry being restored to foreign ownership, as follows: Britain and the U.S., each 40 percent, other nations 20 percent.

Guatemala, 1953-1990s:

A CIA-organized coup overthrew the democratically-elected and progressive government of Jacobo Arbenz, initiating 40 years of death-squads, torture, disappearances, mass executions, and unimaginable cruelty, totaling well over 100,000 victims -indisputably one of the most inhuman chapters of the 20th century. Arbenz had nationalized the U.S. firm, United Fruit Company, which had extremely close ties to the American power elite. As justification for the coup, Washington declared that Guatemala had been on the verge of a Soviet takeover, when in fact the Russians had so little interest in the country that it didn't even maintain diplomatic relations. The real problem in the eyes of Washington, in addition to United Fruit, was the danger of Guatemala's social democracy spreading to other countries in Latin America.

Middle East, 1956-58:

The Eisenhower Doctrine stated that the United States "is prepared to use armed forces to assist" any Middle East country "requesting assistance against armed aggression from any country controlled by international communism." The English translation of this was that no one would be allowed to dominate, or have excessive influence over, the middle east and its oil fields except the United States, and that anyone who tried would be, by definition, "Communist." In keeping with this policy, the United States twice attempted to overthrow the Syrian government, staged several shows-of-force in the Mediterranean to intimidate movements opposed to U.S.-supported governments in Jordan and Lebanon, landed 14,000 troops in Lebanon, and conspired to overthrow or assassinate Nasser of Egypt and his troublesome middle-east nationalism.

Indonesia, 1957-58:

Sukarno, like Nasser, was the kind of Third World leader the United States could not abide. He took neutralism in the cold war seriously, making trips to the Soviet Union and China (though to the White House as well). He nationalized many private holdings of the Dutch, the former colonial power. He refused to crack down on the Indonesian Communist Party, which was walking the legal, peaceful road and making impressive gains electorally. Such policies could easily give other Third World leaders "wrong ideas." The CIA began throwing money into the elections, plotted Sukarno's assassination, tried to blackmail him with a phony sex film, and joined forces with dissident military officers to wage a full-scale war against the government. Sukarno survived it all.

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"Only the Dead Have seen the end of War" -Plato

Interesting reading. I wonder why he started then. We not start with stealing America from the Indians and the Mexicans. And using Africans for our labor force to protect 'our American Way Of Life'. VV

None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free - Goethe

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COL TEMPO LA FOGLIA DI GELSO DIVENTA SETA - "time and patience change the mulberry leaf to satin"

You'd be surprised to see how many Americans don't know the reason for the Iranians taking hostages at the Embassy in the 1979. Overthrowing a democratically elected gov't in Iran for oil and overthrowing a democratically elected gov't in Guatemala for US corporate interests. Disgusting...

For those of you who would like a more in depth, detailed read, try this one...it'll rock your world...
Amazon.com: Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire: Chalmers Johnson: Books

Oh...And the article left out our funding of the Mujahdeen by the Carter Administration BEFORE the invasion of the Soviet union into Afghanistan.

Geeze, a tutorial for the right wing I'd say. They must be aware of these things before they propose more imperialism. Will they never learn or is the almighty (well once was) dollar the prophet they follow?

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Right wing as in Republican MM?

Amazing how the Left-Wing confuses conservatives with Republicans, isn't it Dave?

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Well, yeah. I don't think there are too many right wing democrats. There may be one ex democrat, Joe Lieberman. That traitorus schmuck. There may be a few republicans that aren't right wing, but I'd say very few. The Neo-cons have pretty much stolen the republican party. There was a time when I voted republican, but Nixon and Regan ruined that for me. I get it that the two party system is basically a one party system with a right leaning side, and a center-left leaning side. I am as disgusted as you with the state of American politics and the foriegn policy we follow. The policy of the corporations. All our government really is is a big umbrella for corporations.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Would you call a Republican candidate that tells his/her audience that it is their intent to expand the military a Right Winger?

Would you do the same if it was a Democrat?