Originally posted by redoubt
reply to post by zeddissad
The US has a long vested interest in South America. It goes way back to the days when there was a determination to see that the European powers
didn't expand and encroach in the new world.
As an American, a US American, I am often ashamed of my government's activity there but at the same time, I can see why it is important to maintain
the umbrella over it.
I repeat: Chavez, if his heart is truly with his people, would do far better using their oil wealth to create a distant and healthy independence from
both Russia and the US. He could... if he chose to, do just that. He doesn't need the tanks and Hinds and MiGs. All he needs is to prove that it can
be done.
Thank you for polite response and my apologies for rude post.
I know Monroe doctrine well. I don't impugn this principles. I know that USA as regional power have special interests in SA. I'm not lunatic and I
know that real politic is often very dirty.
If the target of USA policy is calm region where money, goods and ideas can be interchange fluently on bases of law than I must say that - from
historical perspective - means used to fulfill this target are at least unfortunate. Installing fascistic dictators, spreading unrest and initiating
and supporting civil wars is bad strategy IMO.
Chavez is not threat to Columbia. He have no "suicidal tendencies". He is not mad. Blowing of bridges is just show for domestic public - citizens
there expect something similar from him. I don't say that such mummery is good - I don't like it personally. But stick to chronology: first came
boost in US military presence in Columbia! Chavez don't trust 1.000 times convicted liars that's why he is changing oil for weapons - again compare
it with last 20 years of arms race in your motherland.
You say:
But the bottom line here is that while the US is certainly meddlesome, they have never and will never seek to turn any nation into a ballistic missile
base or create a target for other nations, overseas, to target... which is exactly what Russia tried to do in Cuba in the early 1960s.
It simply isn't true. Czech Rep. and Poland was asked to host part of missile defense system. Radar part will pose my country as first strike - maybe
nuclear - attack target. You are right that there is no drive to install ICBM to other countries - they are intercontinental

.
For shorter range missiles:
A mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile of the U.S. Army, the Pershing-II was deployed at American bases in West Germany beginning in 1983 and
aimed at targets in the western Soviet Union. It carried a single thermonuclear warhead with an explosive force equivalent to 5-50 kilotons
(5,000©;50,000 tons) of TNT.
Source
Please correct me if I'm totally wrong but I have very bad feeling that US military is spreading around globe like plague. If I look on map just for
second than obvious target is elimination of Russia and China. Means are: installation of puppet governments in countries around target, initiation of
unrest (color revolutions), support for ethnic divisions, blowing up civil wars (Pakistan), direct war. For me it is obvious enough that current boost
in Columbia is part of this imperialistic policy.