Welcome to the War on Democracy

[MementoMori]

!Please Watch The Videos Before You Post! The War on Democracy: Award winning journalist John Pilger examines the role of Washington in America's manipulation of Latin American politics during the last 50 years leading up to the struggle by ordinary people to free themselves from poverty and racism. Since the mid 19th Century Latin America has been the 'backyard' of the US, a collection of mostly vassal states whose compliant and often brutal regimes have reinforced the 'invisibility' of their majority peoples. The film reveals similar CIA policies to be continuing in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The rise of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez despite ongoing Washington backed efforts to unseat him in spite of his overwhelming mass popularity, is democratic in a way that we have forgotten or abandoned in the west. True Democracy being a solid 80% voter turnout in support of Chavez in over 6 elections. After you have watched the entire set, please express your opinions and discuss them. But do not trash the thread by bickering a creating petty arguments.

[WakataDreamer]

We already knew that America was anti-democracy (in cases where that democracy did not suit itself). This is news?

[Descensus]

I don't see a problem with offing Democracy.

[Xaqaria]

Although I know about what the United States has done in South American countries, Venezuela is not as clear cut an issue as you make it sound. Yes, the United States is trying to oust Chavez, but he's not exactly universally supported in Venezuela, and the 80% you offer isn't accurate either. Chavez has changed a lot of the rules so that he wins. He has depreciated the venezuelan currency so that the value of his money goes up. He has snatched up control of all but one television networks in the country. He has his opponents imprisoned or killed. large portions of the country are currently without power. This is not information that I have gotten from people in this country, but directly from Venezuelans. There is no good guy in the Chavez vs. the US issue.

[SkA_DaRk_Che]

I've always though of Central America and to a certain extent the whole of Latin America as being The United State's Eastern Europe in a sense, Because Russia had this weaker region post WWII which they controlled by puppet governments and what not. Latin America was somewhat the Western equivalent of this. Although I know about what the United States has done in South American countries, Venezuela is not as clear cut an issue as you make it sound. Yes, the United States is trying to oust Chavez, but he's not exactly universally supported in Venezuela, and the 80% you offer isn't accurate either. Chavez has changed a lot of the rules so that he wins. He has depreciated the venezuelan currency so that the value of his money goes up. He has snatched up control of all but one television networks in the country. He has his opponents imprisoned or killed. large portions of the country are currently without power. This is not information that I have gotten from people in this country, but directly from Venezuelans. There is no good guy in the Chavez vs. the US issue. And some of his populist policies don't really add up in reality too;I remember listening to a radio documentary about how his policies regarding land ownership were really more for show than actually being a viable solution for the countries' poor. edit" Sorry for double post

[Universal Mind]

Saddam Hussein used to win 100% of the vote in his elections in Iraq. It doesn't mean shit when you are talking about a dictator. Our dealings in South America and Iran were Cold War related. There are considerable arguments against the way we handled things, but the Cold War factor was very present, and the Cold War was about the most serious thing we ever had to deal with. The Soviet Union was a threat to freedom worldwide, and they were gung ho on major expansion. It was serious stuff. It's not as simple as wanting to steal fruit baskets from Central America and so forth. If we stole fruit from Central America and whatever else, it was something we did in the process of taking down major Soviet connections. The title of this thread is extremely ironic. The United States has done more to protect democracy than any other country in history. If you disagree, I challenge you to name a country that has done more for the cause. We are in Iraq and Afghanistan at this very moment fighting wars against insurgent terrorists who are fighting to prevent the sustaining of democracy in those countries. Speaking of Iran and of dictators who make their citizens' votes irrelevant, Ahmadinejad was voted out of office in Iran. Guess what. He is still there any way. He altered the voting records and said he will continue to rule the country. Chavez does the same thing. It makes democracy in those countries nonexistent. THAT is war on democracy. I've always though of Central America and to a certain extent the whole of Latin America as being The United State's Eastern Europe in a sense, Because Russia had this weaker region post WWII which they controlled by puppet governments and what not. Latin America was somewhat the Western equivalent of this. The Soviet Union had troops in those countries and were in charge of their governments. They were Soviet territories called satellite countries. Bulgaria and Hungary were more like what you are talking about. They were considered Soviet Bloc nations, but the others were actual Soviet territories, much like Puerto Rico is to the United States now. However, we don't rule Puerto Rico with fascism.