Thus Always To Superpowers
September 14th 2008 22:28
The Monroe Doctrine says that the United States of America insists that European powers stay out of the affairs of the Western Hemisphere, namely the Americas, or otherwise face seriously pissing off the American Administration. Sure, it was the early 19th Century and the “affairs” to which they referred was colonialism and mercantilist behaviours. It worked too. In some countries with the help of the US and in some on their own accord, gradually all of South and Central America was freed from European colonial powers. But now those pesky little brothers to the South have found common ground with their European cousins again, and yet again it has the United States absolutely fuming. This time the Europeans, the Southern and Central Americans have something in common: an utter distaste for the Bush Administration. Unlike the Europeans though, who are mostly bluster and baguettes, the South Americans actually take substantive actions to back up their opposition. They have already taken the first steps to a freezing in relations. Some of the United States worst ideological enemies (and best trading partners) in the region have expelled US diplomats. Welcome to the Cold War. We’ve missed you so, so much.
Today the US Ambassador to Bolivia was kicked out of the country, accused of supporting Opposition groups who seek to overthrow the Bolivian leadership of Evo Morales. Earlier in the week Venezuela expelled the US Ambassador on charges of espionage, Honduras refused to accept the credentials of the new US envoy and President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega cancelled a summit that was to include President Bush, much reviled in Latin America. It seems as though there was a concerted effort amongst the Latin American leaders to stick it to Bush and make life difficult for the American’s at whatever juncture possible. If that was the plan, they seem to have accomplished it incredibly successfully. No one in the mainstream media seems to have batted an eyelid over the pattern of hostility displayed by the Latin American countries. I understand though. Over the past few years we have seen regimes like that of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela succumb to paranoia that borders on the delusional. Expelling the Ambassador for allegedly being “a spy” is nothing out of the ordinary for a Government who is known for calling George W. Bush the devil in a speech to the United Nations. And, after all, the Ambassador probably was transmitting information to the US Government. That is what Ambassadors do, after all. They represent their country of origin overseas and send messages and information back to their country of origin when something relevant comes up. Nothing new, but a good excuse to give them the chop if one truly wanted to.
The question isn’t why the Latin American countries are perpetrating a campaign of antipathy towards the United States. It’s a mixture of clashing ideologies, an inferiority complex, the US disruption of the drug trade, US trade with Southern and Central America and the plain fact that some countries just flat out don’t like the United States. As John Wilkes Booth said after he shot Abraham Lincoln: Sic semper tyrannis. Thus always to tyrants. In this case though, it is more like ‘Thus always to superpowers’. Part and parcel of being the world’s big brother is that some people won’t agree with you and will do whatever they can to be a thorn in your side. That’s what the Latin American countries are doing now. Militarily they don’t come within a breath of the US. Economically they can disrupt the US’s supply of gas, but the Americans can rally and go find it elsewhere if worst comes to worse. So what can a country like Venezuela or Bolivia do to a superpower like the United States when they just can’t stand them? The answer is not a lot, but they can make a hell of a splash standing up to them. The currency these small countries trade in is respect. And respect from other opponents of the US is what they stand to gain. Respect is enough to help forge relationships. Respect is enough to give somewhere like Venezuela a seat in the arena of international relations. That is a big deal in and of itself.
So the question isn’t why they are doing it. The question is what the US is going to do back. It is a big deal to expel a countries Ambassador under charges of what is tantamount to criminal activities like espionage. That kind of thing gives international crisis’s a nice hard kick start. The US can’t keep those diplomats there, because Bolivia and Venezuela aren’t going to work with them so it would be pointless. But they can’t just replace them either, not without making a point to the Latin American countries that the US isn’t someone to play games with. The US are in an awkward position because they are on the back foot. They have to respond to the claims of misconduct by diplomats, otherwise it would confirm the suspicion many in South America have of the United States as a country who meddles and interferes in the affairs of others. But ne false move and the US is in a diplomatic freeze with half of Latin America. It’s a tough spot when your nearest neighbours would like nothing better than to see you fall down.
Sic semper superpowers.
Today the US Ambassador to Bolivia was kicked out of the country, accused of supporting Opposition groups who seek to overthrow the Bolivian leadership of Evo Morales. Earlier in the week Venezuela expelled the US Ambassador on charges of espionage, Honduras refused to accept the credentials of the new US envoy and President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega cancelled a summit that was to include President Bush, much reviled in Latin America. It seems as though there was a concerted effort amongst the Latin American leaders to stick it to Bush and make life difficult for the American’s at whatever juncture possible. If that was the plan, they seem to have accomplished it incredibly successfully. No one in the mainstream media seems to have batted an eyelid over the pattern of hostility displayed by the Latin American countries. I understand though. Over the past few years we have seen regimes like that of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela succumb to paranoia that borders on the delusional. Expelling the Ambassador for allegedly being “a spy” is nothing out of the ordinary for a Government who is known for calling George W. Bush the devil in a speech to the United Nations. And, after all, the Ambassador probably was transmitting information to the US Government. That is what Ambassadors do, after all. They represent their country of origin overseas and send messages and information back to their country of origin when something relevant comes up. Nothing new, but a good excuse to give them the chop if one truly wanted to.
The question isn’t why the Latin American countries are perpetrating a campaign of antipathy towards the United States. It’s a mixture of clashing ideologies, an inferiority complex, the US disruption of the drug trade, US trade with Southern and Central America and the plain fact that some countries just flat out don’t like the United States. As John Wilkes Booth said after he shot Abraham Lincoln: Sic semper tyrannis. Thus always to tyrants. In this case though, it is more like ‘Thus always to superpowers’. Part and parcel of being the world’s big brother is that some people won’t agree with you and will do whatever they can to be a thorn in your side. That’s what the Latin American countries are doing now. Militarily they don’t come within a breath of the US. Economically they can disrupt the US’s supply of gas, but the Americans can rally and go find it elsewhere if worst comes to worse. So what can a country like Venezuela or Bolivia do to a superpower like the United States when they just can’t stand them? The answer is not a lot, but they can make a hell of a splash standing up to them. The currency these small countries trade in is respect. And respect from other opponents of the US is what they stand to gain. Respect is enough to help forge relationships. Respect is enough to give somewhere like Venezuela a seat in the arena of international relations. That is a big deal in and of itself.
So the question isn’t why they are doing it. The question is what the US is going to do back. It is a big deal to expel a countries Ambassador under charges of what is tantamount to criminal activities like espionage. That kind of thing gives international crisis’s a nice hard kick start. The US can’t keep those diplomats there, because Bolivia and Venezuela aren’t going to work with them so it would be pointless. But they can’t just replace them either, not without making a point to the Latin American countries that the US isn’t someone to play games with. The US are in an awkward position because they are on the back foot. They have to respond to the claims of misconduct by diplomats, otherwise it would confirm the suspicion many in South America have of the United States as a country who meddles and interferes in the affairs of others. But ne false move and the US is in a diplomatic freeze with half of Latin America. It’s a tough spot when your nearest neighbours would like nothing better than to see you fall down.
Sic semper superpowers.
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