From: Robert S. Thau (rst@ai.mit.edu)
Date: Sun Feb 27 2000 - 15:11:37 PST
Dug Song writes:
> On Sun, 27 Feb 2000, John Boyer wrote:
>
> > But, speaking of colonialism and a "save the gooks" mentality, I think
> > America has an impressive record of foreign intervention in the 20th
> > century.
>
> impressively awful....
Even I think that this was going a bit far; any recap of American
foreign intervention over the last half century shouldn't omit the
Marshall plan, or the heavy American role in the reconstruction of
Japan and West Germany after World War II, both of which turned out
about as well as I think anyone could reasonably expect.
Also, some of your examples are controversial --- I think you're right
about Vietnam, but some generally reasonable people disagree.
However, getting back to the original question, I don't know *anyone*
who will defend, say, the American intervention in Guatemala in the
1950s, in which a U.S. covert operation deposed a democratically
elected government because it was threatening to raise taxes on an
American corporation, United Fruit, inaugurating a truly horrific
reign of terror...
rst
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