Speech 3 - US Foreign Policy and Blowback

US Foreign Policy and Blowback


Throughout the last few decades there have been a large number of attacks both on US citizens, bases, embassies, and the US's allies. But what caused these attacks? Was it because we are to free? Not at all. It is the United States’ foreign policy, which caused what the CIA calls Blowback; the unintended consequences of actions taken by the US government that the American people have no idea what has or is happening. Since there is a ton of history to cover, I want to focus on three events. The first being who stopped following our founding principles, the Iranian coup in ‘53, and recent events in Pakistan with our drone attacks that is building future blowback.

Now, before I delve into America’s history of foreign policy and total war. I would like to state that the US’s actions abroad is not “our” burden to bare, but rather it is the US government’s. The United States has fallen from its original graces and no longer ran by We the People. This country is now split down the middle, where politicians are bought off and controlled by the most powerful banks in the world. Banks, which control this nation’s currency under the heading of the Federal Reserve, that have the power in one pen stroke can cripple the military industrial complex President Eisenhower originally warned would bring this nation to its knees with its need for imperialism. We the People now have less freedom, our constitution means squat, and this country’s name has been tarnished by constant abridgement of our foreign and domestic policies. This is the blowback from not following our founding principles.

While We the People can make a difference and change history, this is the wrong speech for me to discuss solutions. To even begin talking solutions, there must be a better understanding of this country’s history, why blowback, like the 9/11 attacks and recent embassy attacks are happening today.

Foreign policy in this country should be very simple to state and understand. Thomas Jefferson said it in its simplest form, “Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship. No entangling alliances.” These words can easily be used to summarize most of the first 90 years of this nation’s history. What happened then though, is where things went awry.

Elected March 4, 1861 was the beginning of the US’s decline. Who was elected 1861? Historian Thomas DiLorenzo in his book “The Real Lincoln” as well as I, would state the worst president in US history was elected that day, Abraham Lincoln. To quickly summarize the disaster he caused. He abridged the 10th amendment right to secession for states. He started the Civil War. That’s right, he was warned that if he sent his ship to the south to resupply his bases, instead of pulling his troops out of the newly seceded states, Fort Sumter would attack. The civil war was entirely avoidable.

The Civil War was the worst example of tyranny by any president. During which, Lincoln enacted the basic war ideology of total war, meaning, civilians could and would be targeted, not just the enemy armies. This lead to the burning of the majority of all cities, towns, and farms. This lead to starvation of many women and children. Women were also raped by Northern soldiers. During the entire campaign, Lincoln visited general Ulysses S. Grant on the front lines to relish in stories of the latest escapades of his soldiers in the south.

Due to Lincoln’s actions, it allowed future imperialistic actions to flourish.

The cold war was the beginning of the USA’s fight for puppet control over many nations. The blowback has come in small doses so far, but it is building. During the cold war, we were in a constant battle with the USSR. We took control of many nations through different means. Japan, South Korea, Nigeria, Nicaragua, to name a few. We took these nations over through various methods. Placement of US bases, economic benefits and control, funded coup d'etats, or just bolstering a dictator with arms and money.

The CIA is involved in the majority of the coups and funding of dictators and questionable organizations. Some of the best known organizations the CIA helped, and is still helping maintain power, is Al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Contras and the Mujahedin-e. Individuals who gained the most power thanks to our interventions include Mubarak, the former Egyptian leader; Osama bin Laden, former leader of Al-Qaeda; and Saddam Hussein former leader of Iraq.

While there have been at least 30 CIA coups, I want to focus on is the Iranian coup in 1953. During that year a man named Mohammad Mosaddegh was democratically elected as prime minister of Iran. Mosaddegh wanted to nationalize the oil fields controlled by the company now known as BP. After tensions between Britain and Iran increased, the US intervened telling Iran to denationalize their oil fields. After negotiations failed, the US had the CIA fund a coup that reinstated the US and Britain favoring Shah. Mosaddegh was places in house arrest for the rest of his life. An interactive telling of it can be viewed by playing the free game Cat and Coup.

In 1979, the Iranian people overthrew the Shah, and placed the current Iranian government that is likely to be this country's next war.

Within the recent decade, the USA has been conducting drone strikes against “targeted” individuals. Sadly, the accuracy is just as poor as the smart bombs used in WW2. Many civilians are killed in each attack. Our most heavily targeted country is Pakistan. Due to the attacks President Obama and Bush issued, the Pakistani people are demanding their government to take action, and end all alliances. As more attacks happen, the stronger their hatred, the more frequent attacks on embassies, tourists, and soldiers on their soil. This is true everywhere we bomb, occupy, or manipulate.

America’s History of Foreign Policy is an interesting one. Its history is deep within this nation’s roots. If there was more time, I would have loved to go over it in way more detail. Still understanding the point where things went awry, a nice midpoint since that is rearing its head, and our most recent actions in countries like Pakistan allows for understanding of the blowback taken against us. Blowback is brewing, greater every day. They do not hate us because we are free, they hate us because we are there destroying their lives.







Outline:




US Foreign Policy and Blowback
I. Introduction


Throughout the last few decades there have been a large number of attacks both on US citizens, bases, embassies, and the US's allies. But what caused these attacks? Was it because we are to free? Not at all. It is the United States’ foreign policy, which caused what the CIA calls Blowback; the unintended consequences of actions taken by the US government that the American people have no idea what has or is happening. Since there is a ton of history to cover, I want to focus on three events. The first being who stopped following our founding principles, the Iranian coup in ‘53, and recent events in Pakistan with our drone attacks that is building future blowback.
II. National Breakdown


a. Discuss our national breakdown that has lead to many issues and problems around the world.

b. Dwight Eisenhower’s warning about the Military Industrial Complex did not scratch the surface of what was really controlling the strings of our fall.

c. We the People’s loss of liberties grave form of domestic blowback of bad policy.
III. Purpose and Understanding


a. Explain that knowing this country’s history allows a better understanding of how things happened. b. Discuss how this all benefits everyone.


c. Explain basics of proper foreign policy using Thomas Jefferson’s quote “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship. No entangling alliances.”
IV. - Lincoln
a. His use of total war.
b. Attacks on the civilians and those who spoke against his policies.


V. CIA
a. Funding of terrorism; Bin Laden; Al-Qaeda; etc.
b. Mention their involvement in numerous coups; Iraq, Sudan, etc.
c. Discuss in some detail the coup against Mohammad Mosaddegh.

VI. Pakistan
a. Point out inaccuracy of the drone bomb; similar to “smart bombs.”
b. Citizens are rising up against USA due to civilian death toll.
c. Constantly increases in blowback due to the US government’s actions.

VII. Conclusion


America’s History of Foreign Policy is an interesting one. Its history is deep within this nation’s roots. If there was more time, I would have loved to go over it in way more detail. Still understanding the point where things went awry, a nice midpoint since that is rearing its head, and our most recent actions in countries like Pakistan allows for understanding of the blowback taken against us. Blowback is brewing, greater every day. They do not hate us because we are free, they hate us because we are there destroying their lives.

References:

Jefferson, Thomas. "First Inaugural Address In the Washington, D.C." Bartleby Bookstore. Web. October 21, 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres16.html>.

DiLorenzo, Thomas. The Real Lincoln. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2002. Print

The Cat and the Coup. Version 1.0. Peter Brinson and Kurosh ValaNejad. Digital: Steam. October 21, 2012.