The top Republican in Congress on Tuesday called for stepping up U.S. “engagement” and interventionism in Latin America in order to obstruct various bogeymen that pose no threat to America.
“The best defense against an expansion of Iranian influence in Latin America – and against the destructive aspirations of international criminals in the region – is for the United States to double down on a policy of direct engagement,” U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said at the State Department.
Boehner said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visits to Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Ecuador in recent months “underscored the designs Iran has for expanding its influence in Latin America, and its eagerness to forge bonds with governments in the Western Hemisphere that have demonstrated a lesser interest in freedom and democracy.”
If diplomatic meetings between Iran and Latin American countries reveals Iran’s surreptitious imperial designs to expand its influence and threaten America, one has to wonder what encircling Iran with two aggressive American wars, dozens of U.S. military bases, missile defense systems, and fleets of navy warships looks like to the Islamic Republic.
As for forming bonds with the region’s undemocratic governments, the U.S. has Iran beat by a long shot. For over a hundred years, the United States has wrought terror, war, poverty, and repression throughout Latin America in the form of CIA-orchestrated military coups, support of terrorists and dictatorial regimes, and a very bloody war on drugs, all while peppering the entire region with the U.S. military.
Other than encroaching Iranian influence, an inflated threat that has been repeatedly debunked, Boehner said the drug cartels are the region’s next greatest threat. But Washington’s insistence on draconian prohibitionist policies and reliance on militarization of the drug war is what is emboldening and enriching the drug gangs by driving them into the black market. Several leaders throughout Latin America have asked the U.S. to consider decriminalization as a new approach, but have been rejected.
“We must be clear that we will be there, with our friends and partners in the region, committed to fighting and winning the war for a free, stable, and prosperous hemisphere,” Boehner added. Promising continued and increased U.S. presence in Latin America is a tradition that goes back a long time in the history of imperial foreign policy, but a free, stable, and prosperous hemisphere is precisely what America has prevented lo these hundred years.
If the Republicans press this issue it will be interesting to hear the Democratic line from Obama in response. And if it signals a new round of U.S. imperial design on the oil resources of Venezuela, Honduras, Columbia and Peru.
Obama would probably go along with Bonehead and the Neocons. The Bush-Cheney-Obama administration is not one for changing tack.
Nobody south of the US border wants anything to do with the US. It will be by force if it happens. Like as in mucho C-O-U-P's! That is the Amerikan diplomacy at its best! I am really surprised that none of the Latin American bloc went for N-weapons while the US was so bogged down in the ME. It is a must if you don't want Uncle Sam stealing everything, including your first born.
Is Boehner coo coo? South America is already very anti American and he is making it worse.
Intrventionism is why much of the world already hates America. Of course this is a good thing for the military-industrial folks, it keeps them working. But why bring it so close to home? We've brought the drug wars to our borders in Mexico. Stupid!
Wealth — Does it own you?
High Society and the Country Club class, the 25% most wealthy rich ruling class, this is what the Republican Party is all about.
So, Haiti and Honduras where the 51% most wealth establish a monopoly on the voting process, perfection in a democratic dictatorship, this is Boehner’s game plan for south of the border.
Not that Republicans are any more honest or dishonest then the rest of us, just that wealth inflates pride and makes one more anxiety driven to gratify pride.
All take a note: This is what an English speaking terrorist sounds like, unencumbered by any sort of morality or lessons from history….add another to the ever-expanding list of Reasons to Slap John Boner in the Face
Bring in the drones!
Oddly enough, US actions around the world and in that region in particular strongly mimic the behavior of the leaders of some of the countries mentioned: antidemocratic, authoritarian, tyrannical, lack of respect for sovereignty, you're-either-with-me-or-against-me, etc.
The Ompa Loompa is looking forward to Romney and Republican rule next year. More wars more places.
What a wonderful man Cong. Boehner is, so ready to do the right thing and go to the aid of his Latin American brothers and sisters who are being seduced and tempted by the nefarious forces of evil from Iran and Americans are so generous and sympathetic to all who yearn for freedom and democracy. This is like a fairy tale and Latin America is Sleeping Beauty and the US is that noble and handsome Prince that will come to rescue her. Nothing is impossible if you would only believe in it. You must believe. You must believe in the goodness of America, in the American dream, in God and destiny. Now let's take those fences down along the border and welcome our brothers and sisters from the South so they can all have a better life here among us. After all, we love them!
"free stable and Prosperous" . Ja Ja Ja!. Man, the guy is really crazy.
The face of hegemonistic fascism. With the size of our military it would appear that we are no longer arming to fight just one group, but to engage in conflict with the entirety of humanity, it won't turn out well no matter who wins.
Fine Boner, we'll parachute you in with a pistol and let you fight. They've demonstrated a lesser interest in freedom and democracy? (What freedom and democracy have to do with one another, I'm not sure.) Ha ha! Look in your own backyard Boner!
“We must be clear that we will be there, with our friends and partners in the region, committed to fighting and winning the war for a free, stable, and prosperous hemisphere,” Classical American hogwash. These idiocies seem to be written by the same speech writer because all US politicians, Democrat or Republican, vent the same platitudes. As if we, down south, didn't know the record of the criminals that have descended upon our countries for a good part of the 20th century plundering, destroying.and assassinating with formidable impunity. But we don't want this type of "cooperation" anymore. We don't want you to be there, and above all we are not friends.
Send TSA VIPER teams down there and show "Our Little Brown Brothers" what freedom and liberty are all about.
Cheez, I thought Iran was "isolated" and the "world" was united against it.
Now Iran is in our back yard!, expanding its influence!
It's so confusing.
I wonder if Boner realizes that this will only strengthen the socialist dictators that already infect some Latin American countries. In addition their isn't much influence an Islamic theocracy can give to a region that is primarily Roman Catholic.
This is a mite scary. It hearkens back to the JFK assassination and all the intrigue that surrounded it. Accusing Iran could just be an indication of a signal idiot, but who knows? If this is a flyer for ongoing policy then I’m worried. But not surprised. Aggressive wars, torture, secret prisons, secret police, secret laws, the whole fascist playbook. As the Marines would say, we’d better get our sh-t in one bag. Iran has exactly the capability to harm us that Iraq once had: None. I say let’s instead put our wooden shoes into the machinery that’s gobbling up the wealth of the U.S. and excreting it onto multinational entities that could care less about you and me. Enough is enough.
for real ?
this guys are tired with messing around with mussies
now they want to take on the Speecz …