American regime change and covert action in Overthrow by Kinzer

Kinzer and Overthrow

Objectiveness of Kinzer

Kinzer is a journalist and reported on several instances where America has been considered the instigator of regime changes in foreign countries. As a reporter he writes about events that he has witnessed or researched over the past century. There has been at least fourteen instances where heads of state and nations were influenced by American covert activity.

Argument: Understanding the Kinzer Perspective

The perspective is convincing as an argument about how American Diplomats, Statesmen, and even corporate powers use their influence politically and economically to forge alliances or dispose uncooperative leaders. A classic example is the entrance of American forces into Afghanistan to remove Saddam Hussein from power. The catalog of conquests span from 1893 to 2003 including Hawaii 1893(pp.21), Cuba 1898 (pp. 39, 48), Puerto Rico 1898 (pp. 48), Philippines 1902 (pp. 48), Nicaragua 1910 (pp. 56), Honduras 1911 (pp. 75), Iran 1953,

Guatemala 1954, Vietnam 1963, Chile 1973, Grenada 1983, Panama 1989 (pp. 5), Afghanistan 2001 (pp. 298), and lastly Iraq 2003, (pp. 125).

Biases and Credibility

Though many continue to disagree over the exact details related to coup activities, covert actions, hidden agendas, and resulting consequences only now surfacing in our present day history. Kinzer makes it obvious that America is not an innocent and can not claim to be removed from the initiation if not outright responsibility for the resulting government dictatorships (pp. 84, 99, 174). The willingness of such leaders to act on personal advancement and interest rather than rebuilding or strengthening their domestic stability oftentimes plays into the hands of American plans. In fact many major corporations expected total cooperation from these leaders due to preconditions that were given as they rose to power (pp. 95-106). Promises to share technology, weapons, trade secrets, even give millions to billions in grants and loans. All in return for favorable partnerships to use foreign resources, lands, establish refineries and manufacturing plants, even labor to boost American production and revenues.

For the covert section of the book the sources appear credible and the resulting problems have unfortunately been exposed by other journalists, citizens and media coverage. For example it is obvious that after finding no weapons of mass destruction in Afghanistan, the reason Sadaam Hussein was pursued was purely political, an act of avengement and worked to open up economic opportunities (pp. 314). America has gained millions of dollars for government contracts and revenue expansion in rebuilding that nation.

Factor and Distinguishing Characteristics that Unite Iran, Guatemala, South Vietnam and Chile

Factor appear to be the expansion of democracy in the countries that are now dictators albeit thanks to the U.S. The attempt is to remove terrorism and any dissenters to the western way of life.

The economic opportunities for advancement presented by overthrowing governments in Guatemala, Chile, and Iran that were semi-democratic before America stepped in. The intervention of American diplomacy resulted in the overthrow of current leadership to be replaced by an unrelenting dictator. In Guatemala in 1951 the government was democratic (pp. 129). The government had decided to give land to the domestic citizens that had belonged to a company owned by America. In relation to Chile 1973 after the present leader decided to take over U.S. owned companies present in their nation namely the United Fruit Company. This company suffered displacement of their leader Salvador Allende who was replaced once again by a dictator (pp. 172). The dictators wield total control over the resources and livelihood of its citizens repressing their economic development and stagnating the countries infrastructure causing many to remain decades behind in technology and income per capita earning potential.