We arrive at the point where we have a comprehensive overview of the pattern of U.S. abuse around the Globe over the last century. Bear in mind that we have barely touched on Eastern Europe and have not set one foot in either Africa or the Middle East. If you are interested in U.S. interventions in either, I suggest that you find the countries with the most valuable export potential and start there. Maybe Saudi Arabia or Iran.
The pattern has been established, and it is not changing. Some countries have fought and won a degree of freedom. Others have slipped quietly into their fateful role as U.S. client States. Now we can ask the searching questions and arrive easily at the answers. The argument may progress.
Why did the United States invade Guatemala in 1954 to overthrow a democratically elected government? Why did they support a military coup in Chile in 1973 to overthrow a democratically elected government? Why did they support a military junta in Burma that prevented the democratically elected government from taking power? Why did they support an absolute monarchy in Iran before its overthrow by a revolution? Why do they do the same today in Saudi Arabia? Why did they support dictators in Nicaragua and Cuba before their overthrow by their respective revolutions in 1959 and 1979? 1979 was a bad year for American business. They lost control in Iran and in Nicaragua. Why have the US supported a long chain of human rights abusers throughout the Third World since World War 2? Why do they support military dictatorships in Indonesia? Why do the US not intervene to protect democracies? Why will they arm dictators against democracies?
The answer in all cases is exactly the same – cheap access to resources that will improve their balance of payments, whatever the cost in human lives and human rights. The limits of abuse that American elites will tolerate in the name of profit has not yet been identified. So far there is no limit. Genocide is OK. Death Squads are OK. Torture. Imprisonment without trial. All OK if it means cheap copper from Chile, cheap Nickel and Cotton from Guatemala, cheap oil from Iran and Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, cheap fruit from Central America. Minerals, oil, crops are all worth more than human lives.
If you believe in people before profit, it is clear that the Western Alliance clearly value profit before people and show little restraint in achieving it.
Americans will invade to prevent the nationalisation of land (Guatemala 1954). Americans will engineer a coup to prevent the nationalisation of oil (Iran 1953). Americans will not invade to prevent a bloodbath (Indonesia 1965). Americans will not engineer a coup to overthrow a torturing despot (Brazil 1964). Americans will intervene to protect copper (Chile 1973) but will not intervene to prevent slaughter (Israel 1967). All of these actions would be inverted if the values themselves are inverted.
A democratically elected government in any country cannot offer as much of their country to America as a dictator. A dictator doesn’t need the consent of his people, he just needs to keep them down by force. The Americans will pay for this as a quick glance at their foreign military aid budget will testify. The greater the abuses and the more suppressed the people, the greater the investment opportunities for American transnationals and the more praise heaped on the foreign dictator who has secured the concessions for the Americans. American businessmen are on the record for praising Hitler as being good for business in the 1930s. They thought that the brutal military regime in Brazil was good for their business and the returns on investment confirm their judgement. A look at the economic aid will confirm that American businessmen like brutal regimes because that’s where the greatest investment opportunities are. A glance at the share prices on Wall Street of any American mining or agricultural concern will show how much money can be made from repression. See how much ITT made out of Chile or United Fruit made out of Honduras. No wonder American politicians seem less than convincing when they say that America fights for freedom and democracy around the world.
When you argue for a principle (people first) but do the inverse (profit first), the words will always sound hollow.
But actually, supporting despotism is not the only viable economic strategy. We could instead take a short cut to democracy in for example, Burma. Namely, stop giving military aid to the generals and start arming the National League for Democracy who won the election in spite of the Generals locking up most of the Party’s workers. Americans would still receive repayment for military aid from a democracy and a number of concessions as incentives. That as we have seen is the realpolitik concession that the small country must give to the Bully. They could promote democracy and still make money but obviously not enough money. American elites could stay within their own huge country and still make money but this is obviously not enough to satisfy them. Given a choice between a sane and just world / good profits; or an insane and murderous world / outrageous profits, elites choose the latter. Greed beyond understanding.
What can be done? On an international level, the world could isolate the United States, kick them out of the UN, pay no more money to the IMF or the World Bank who are subsidising the slaughter. Set up trade agreements that exclude the United States such as the Caribbean States attempted to do with CARICOM. But the world does not unite against the US elites. They’re too scared and anyway have become too dependent on the current arrangement. In addition to this, they are paid for their complicity. Britain is allowed to arm Indonesia, Israel is allowed to arm Central America and so on. Our Governments allow us to be held hostage by Big Business and its murderous greed that rapes the planet and slaughters its people.
But the people can act themselves. A clear analysis reveals the pattern. And a knowledge of the deeper past and an imagination of the future create a plan for action.