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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Should the next Democratic president apologize to Latin America for all past US intervention? [View all]Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)2. That's up to them(some have, I think). Not comparable to what I was talking about at all.
What our country's past leaders have done in the hemisphere shapes the way every Latin American person and nation sees us.
Is there any act of US economic or military intervention in Latin America you could ever defend?
If you're not up on the history, here is General Smedley Butler with a tutorial on some of it:
I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.
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Should the next Democratic president apologize to Latin America for all past US intervention? [View all]
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
OP
That's up to them(some have, I think). Not comparable to what I was talking about at all.
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
#2
by "leave alone", I don't mean have nothing at all to do with those countries.
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
#10
I agree totally on the need to acknowledge all of the miseries inflicted on Native Americans
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
#7
Scotaloo wasn't the poster making fatuous remarks about Native Americans needing to apologize. n/t.
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
#26
I suppose that there is a sense in which everyone should apologize to everyone else for everything,
Tal Vez
Jun 2016
#14
Actually, I look forward to the day when we might be able to unify our hemisphere,
Tal Vez
Jun 2016
#29
If, by Americans, you mean the peoples of this hemisphere, an apology will do a lot.
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
#30
But the point is that it was stated that this book was REQUIRED reading for all students...
George II
Jun 2016
#66
Required reading for all students in Latin American countries without a military junta in power.
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
#68
It doesn't discredit the statement if the book was only taken off the reading list
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
#71
I'm inclined to say yes, but just to stop doing it already would be enough. n/t
Old Union Guy
Jun 2016
#36
I think some people here are voting no because they think this is an attack on HRC.
Ken Burch
Jun 2016
#41
Why, the US never apologizes for any wrong doing in any part of the world!
akbacchus_BC
Jun 2016
#78