Reagan proposes enhancing aid to Central America, Feb. 24, 1982

[Judi Lynn]

Reagan proposes enhancing aid to Central America, Feb. 24, 1982
By ANDREW GLASS | 2/24/14 5:00 AM EST

On this day in 1982, President Ronald Reagan proposed enhancing U.S. economic and military aid to Central America and the Caribbean islands. The move sought to curb Soviet and Cuban influence in the region, targeting leftist guerrillas in El Salvador and the Sandinista government in Nicaragua.

Reagan dubbed the unilateral package as the Caribbean Basin Initiative. He said it was designed to “prevent the overthrow of the governments in the region” by the “brutal and totalitarian” forces of communism.

~snip~

Congress approved the $350 million foreign aid portion of the initiative in September 1982, with two-thirds of the package slated for Central America and the remainder earmarked for the Caribbean. Reagan signed the trade segment into law in August 1893, after lawmakers had scrubbed the investment tax incentives from the package.

In the end, however, the Caribbean Basin Initiative had only a scant impact on improving the economic situation in the nations it sought to assist. The Reagan administration allowed its concept to wither away while employing more forceful anti-communist measures in the region, including covert support for the anti-Sandinista Contras and invading Grenada in 1983 to remove its leftist government.

SOURCE: U.S. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

More:
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/this-day-in-politics-103824.html#ixzz2uIO8rtUe

[springchick]

1. Ancient history and not relevent to the current situation.

[Judi Lynn]

2. What are you trying to say? n/t

[springchick]

3. Translation:

Ancient history, as in it happened a long time ago.
Not relevent to the current situation, needs no translation.

[Judi Lynn]

4. You are not the one to make these decisions.

DU'ers have been posting information like this from the beginning.

It's simply not up to you.

[springchick]

5. Making decisions?

Wow, you sound really paranoid.
I expressed a fact not a decision.

Take a breath and slow down a bit.

[polly7]

6. Do you ever have anything to add except for transparent

desperate attempts to derail?

[springchick]

7. Do you ever have anything to add except for transparent

excuses for certain factions of this gov. committing human rights violations?

[Paolo123]

9. Thanks for posting

One can't understand the present without understanding the past. Very relevant.

[delrem]

8. Absolutely! History is for losers!

I learned that on the Glenn Beck show. Where did you learn it, springchick?

Glenn Beck explained it perfectly on his blackboard:
1. There is no continuity between events. Every event is totally isolated and there's no proof otherwise!
2. There is no such thing as cause and effect and those who say otherwise are commies! And Kenyans! And mooselimbs!
3. 30 years ago is *so* passe! So *ancient*! And the USA has totally changed from then and just doesn't do such things anymore!
4. So there!

I'm so happy that you ramped up the discussion at DU the several notches required to make these deep and impressive points. It's almost as enlightening as a Glenn Beck tutorial at Glenn Beck U.

[springchick]

10. So you're fan of Glen Beck?

How interesting.

[delrem]

13. Thats gee-el-double-n "Glenn", springchick.

Other than that you've gotta get up pretty damn early to sarc the asm of a FReeper troll. Right?

[springchick]

14. Well, you seem to know him better than I do,

you know how to spell his name correctly.
Very interesting.

[sabrina 1]

18. History is always relevant, particularly the history of our interference in Latin America. It is

in fact more relevant than ever considering the attempts currently underway to revive that awful, shameful history.

Reagan, I remember when he died and we were subjected to a week of 'mourning' a reporter went to Central America to ask the people there how they felt about his death. They recalled missing loved ones, torture, abuse, corruption and suffering and dictators.

It's important for the people of the region, because Ven is only the beginning, to never forget what happened to their nations and for those who were not born at the time, to learn so they don't make the mistake of supporting a return to those dark days.

[fasttense]

11. Thanks for posting this Judi

Ignore the obvious disruptor, she has been all over DU trying to disrupt and derail any civil conversation.

I think some newbies stumble onto DU thinking they are soooo smart that with just a few placed disruption we will all come crumbling down begging for mercy. Then they create several screen names to give them the look of a real player.

The next thing she is going to say is, "I know I am but what are you?"

You may want to alert on her because she is certainly disrupting your thoughtful post.

[springchick]

12. Why don't you send an alert?

Why get others to do what you want done?

[delrem]

17. Don't strain your head, springchick.

Not that there seems much to strain.
Everyone reading these threads is "alerted" to you and what you're up to.

For example here, with your "Ancient history and not relevent (sic) to the current situation" wisdom. You don't bother to explain what "current situation" that you mean, of all the "situations" in Latin America. You just posted - 'cause you're on a roll, on a troll.

[sabrina 1]

19. Not to worry, we are already alerted ...

[TBF]

15. I remember El Salvador well -

I was in college at the time and we spent a lot of time protesting US involvment there and in Las Malvinas. The more things change the more they stay the same.

[Judi Lynn]

16. Hideous history played out there. So few ever really seemed to know about it,

as our own corporate media muffled, manipulated the news even then.

It's wonderful hearing you and other people of conscience were protesting. I really believe most of the country was completely oblivious in those days, and that was by design via omission of the truth, decisions made in Washington and at each "news" source.