We’re still “pro-democracy” right?
Not really. U.S. foreign policy over the last half century has been to support right wing dictatorships as long as it is in our strategic and economic interest. This has happened regardless of whether the president is Democrat or Republican. The latest example of this is Honduras.
In summer 2009, a military coup in Honduras ousted the democratically elected president Jose Manuel Zelaya. Now under the rule of Porfirio Lobo, the country has the highest murder rate in the world and hundreds of citizens have been killed by the military. Despite this, “the Obama administration has increased requested military aid for Honduras for fiscal year 2012.” The Center for Economic and Policy Research has also given ten examples of how the Obama administration is supporting Lobo.
The goal of U.S foreign policy is empire and control of as much of the world as possible. The decision to support fledgling democracy or fascist regimes is dependent on the nuances of the region and ultimately, whether or not the leaders cooperate with U.S corporate interests. Had Saddam Hussein been friendlier to corporate interests, he would most likely still be in power.
Unfortunately, there is nothing new about the situation in Honduras. As long as the U.S government is in the control of corporate interests, our foreign policy will stay the same, the only “hope and change” will come from the people themselves. Once people take action in their own government and hold it accountable, then we can claim to be a great exporter and example of democracy.
