How Republicans Show Their Respect For Democracy

Someone named Ben posted the following question on a comment thread at Americablog today;

---

"Anybody notice that for the last half century, by and large, whenever a democrat is in office all is quiet, peace and prosperity prevail, but republicans usher in war and strife and deficit and depression?"

---

And I replied to that question with the following:

1954 - Eisenhower administration allows Dulles brothers to use CIA assets in the ouster of democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz of Guatamala, Arbenz is replaced by a military junta headed by Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas, plunging the country into chaos and long-lasting political turbulence.

1973 - Nixon administration complicit in violent overthrow of democratically elected socialist leader Salvador Allende. Allende is replaced by Augosto Pinochet, whose reign is marked by 'extensive human rights violations, both at home and abroad.'

1983 - Reagan administration opposes democratically elected Sandanista government of Nicaragua, backs Contras, leading to Iran/Contra scandal, weapons deals with Iran, installation of right-wing dictatorship in Nicaragua. Coup is marked by atrocities including the killing of priests and nuns. Authorization for crimes committed by Oliver North, John Poindexter, Caspar Weinberger etc., seems to have come from the office of Vice President, George Herbert Walker Bush.

Yeah, somebody noticed.

---

This is not a complete inventory of US actions worldwide that acted against the interests of democracy. Just the cases where a democratically elected ruler in the western hemisphere has been replaced to serve the interests of the American corporatocracy. It might give pause however, to anyone who is tempted to demonize the democratically elected president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez. In Latin America, the US has long been the one wearing the horns and tail.

How is it that the American people can continue to vote for a party that has shown so much blatant contempt for democracy outside its own borders?

There's more, here.

Hat-tip to huffingtonpost for the animation, and to sans-culotte for bringing it to my attention.

---