Why Does America Always Support Corrupt Assholes?

[DanieRains]

Mubarak, Sadam, Afghani, the list goes on. Think about Saudi Arabia. Made some clown family billionaire kings.

Time we made something great besides oil companies, and defence contractors.

[Wounded Bear]

1. Because corrupt assholes run more "stable" governments...

that don't change every 4-5 years and aren't subject to the whims of public sentiment.

All better for business.

[JHB]

7. "He may be a son of a bitch, but he's OUR son of a bitch"

Attributed to Franklin Roosevelt (but unclear whether he ever actually said it), about a dictator whose identity is also unclear: different sources claim Anastasio Somoza, Francisco Franco, or Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina.

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Beat me to it . . . . .

[modrepub]

9. This Type Of Thinking

Gets us stuck with people like the Shah of Iran. A corrupt dictator who eventually pisses everyone off, flees the country and leaves behind someone who's worse.

Instead of propping up folks who tell us what we want to hear we should be focussing on identifying people who can get things done and govern within our norms. Providing the local populace with some basic working framework of a functioning society and a chance to live in modest freedom will go a long way in developing a stable country.

On our side, having some tolerance to opposing view points that still respect individual rights (but disagree with you) would probably also help. Too many times we've allowed ourselves to act unilaterally when there's any hint of disagreement with our "philosophy".

[Wounded Bear]

13. Could have sworn it was LBJ who said that...

that's more his style IMHO. Not sure who he said it about, but I doubt it was Franco. He was a Hitler crony.

[JHB]

14. LBJ would have happily repeated something like that, but...

...when looking for its origin, it is attributed (perhaps apocryphally) to FDR.

[Wounded Bear]

15. Most likely said it about Stalin...

who was briefly on our side, at least.

[RockRaven]

2. Because the ruling class cares about enriching themselves, not human rights...

And the media conglomerates tell people who to vote for by nudging them every day in the direction of whoever will continue to enrich the ruling class...

[malaise]

20. THIS

the truth

[Dave in VA]

3. Short answer...

[SunSeeker]

4. Because people who can be bought are controllable?

[EYESORE 9001]

5. To the plutocrats who hold the reins of power

it’s easier for them to work with dictators. Wouldn’t want someone in charge of an exploited country who actually gave a shit about the welfare of the people.

[Old Crank]

6. To paraphrase a former leader

They may be corrupt assholes, but they are our corrupt assholes....
Until we find a more supple corrupt asshole.

[doc03]

10. The only freedom they care about is their own. nt

[Piratedog]

11. Two reasons: (1) the lesser of two or more evils and (2) conditions change.

Sometimes all there are are corrupt assholes. And the person supported at one time May become corrupt or more corrupt as conditions change.

[betsuni]

16. Who is "the lesser of two evils"?

Democrats? Who? Why are they evil? Evidence?

[joetheman]

12. Because they are like most of our corrupt assholes. Power, money, greed, racism, misogyny.

Remember the fondness for Al Capone, Jesse James...we seem to like to support the corrupt.

[Chainfire]

17. You have to have a leader that can be bought

If you want to practice war in their country and on their people for decades, otherwise they balk and want peace.

[Sur Zobra]

18. Because: communism

Convenient excuse during the Cold War, but also latched onto by true believers. Brutal dictators and strongmen could also be counted on to kill the “communists” in their own countries, i.e., dissidents. It didn’t matter to the U.S. that most, if not all the dissidents weren’t actual communists, but dissidents always scare the shit out of the rich people who, ultimately, have the greatest influence over our country

[jalan48]

19. Is it Americans or American interests (corporations)?

[NameAlreadyTaken]

21. Because Americans are corrupt assholes themselves

[iemanja]

22. Because they facilitate US economic interests

and, in the short run, geopolitical interests.