Joe is a little weak on history - The Alliance for Progress

"The program was signed at an inter-American conference at Punta del Este, Uruguay, in August 1961. The charter called for:

• an annual increase of 2.5% in per capita income,
• the establishment of democratic governments,
• the elimination of adult illiteracy by 1970
• price stability, to avoid inflation or deflation
• more equitable income distribution, land reform, and
• economic and social planning.

First, the plan called for Latin American countries to pledge a capital investment of $80 billion over 10 years. The United States agreed to supply or guarantee $20 billion within one decade. 

Second, Latin American delegates required the participating countries to draw up comprehensive plans for national development. These plans were then to be submitted for approval by an inter-American board of experts.

Third, tax codes had to be changed to demand "more from those who have most" and land reform was to be implemented.

U.S. aid to Latin America

Because of the program, economic assistance to Latin America nearly tripled between fiscal year 1960 and fiscal year 1961. Between 1962 and 1967 the US supplied $1.4 billion per year to Latin America. If new investment is included, the amount of aid rose to $3.3 billion per year during this timespan while the total amount of aid was roughly $22.3 billion. "  wiki cited below

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Guess what, pilgrims, this old man worked on the ground in that program in 1964 to 1967.  Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala.  I worked in all those countries.

Over all, the program was a total "bust."

Why?  The latifundistas and gente decente  simply dug in their heels and refused to give power to the campesinos, and also refused to implement reforma agraria but they took all the money offered by the US and stuffed it in their pockets.

Well folks, Joe doesn't seem to know that in those years and all subsequent years the US has through USAID provided massive amount of money for development in Central America and the same thing has happened in every year and every US administration. The elites there pocket the money.

Some ass will want to talk about the United Fruit Company long ago.  Long. long ago.

Should the US seize power in these miserable countries and try to impose our concept of "reform?"  Ah, we tried that in Iraq.

Does Joe think that his little contributions will be treated differently by the rulers in these places?  Sad.  pl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_for_Progress

Comments

[Horace]

"Does Joe think that his little contributions will be treated differently by the rulers in these places?"

It's not about helping others for Joe and his fellow travelers. It's the act of sending away the money that gives them a little endorphin rush, to feel good about their wretched broken selves if only for a few minutes. That the money not only won't help but will make things worse for the ostensible beneficiaries by further entrenching their own predatorial ruling elites is a message that will remain most unwelcome to their ears.

The left in our country used to be about making sure our ruling class didn't get out hand. Now leftist leaders are whores to the very worst elements of our sociopathic internationalized ruling class. They took the ticket and some of them feel bad about it, not enough to stop, but enough to feel compelled to signal their imagined virtue by giving away other people's money. Money that should have been used to invest in the future of our own children.

[Deap]

Speaking truth to power - this time the power is the "cancel" culture if one dares speak against the King. And using the threat of litigation to obtain this silence. SLAPP = Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation.

For those who are not familiar with Anti-SLAPP protections since one may live in a state where they do not provide this protection against those who use threats of litigation intimidation to silence any and all dissent:

https://www.rcfp.org/resources/anti-slapp-laws/

- Is your state an anti-SLAPP state, currently does a certain voting system only intimidate those who live in states with no anti-SLAPP protections? Some states are good, some are dismal and many have no protections at all

Therefore it is easy to threaten multi-billion dollar lawsuits for "damages" until one finally gets the silence of the tomb on certain important public issues and closes off all dissent. Care to think about any now? A non MSM alternate news channel silencing a certain "sleepware salesperson" today should concern us all.

When one has to write carefully and look over their shoulder to speak their mind today, we have lost something thanks to a few .....very strategic lawsuits against public participation.

[turcopolier]

Horace

Lay off the hortatory tone. It pisses me off.

[Alves]

Maybe the best way that the USA and the rest of OECD countries could help was to go hard after corruption, tax heavens and countries that make it easy to hide money.

Put these criminals in jail whenever they step out of their countries, seize their money and properties, etc.

How can an enterprise prosper and the country develop if the one that wins the market competition is the one that buys the favour of the government, the one that does not pay taxes and gets a waive from the government? Impossible. And it is hard to get out of this self-perpetuating setup, as we just saw here in Brazil yet again, with the corrupt power block back in power in an epic turn around.

It would hit hard at home too, in the OECD countries, I mean, of course. Maybe that is why it does not happen...

Anyway, everytime I see people like Lula still being cheered and defended on the international stage I just get even more depressed.

[PRC90]

I doubt that Joe will be thinking too much at all, and what he does will not include much consideration of the elements of time and timing.
Others, of course, will be thinking and acting. Re the current topic; no doubt there would be some good business to be had down Mexico way and beyond.

It would be an interesting exercise per se to start plugging names and appointments into the Executive power wall chart and see which little groups are sharing out or jostling for all the work while Joe sits there and does POTUS stuff.

[JohninMK]

Back in those times Colonel, did you notice any 'reverse flow' opportunities, not taken of course, in those monies?

[turcopolier]

JohninMK

No, but do you mean did American companies might have made money in Central America? That may well be. I was involved at the small town, village level. These people were so poor then that it is hard to see what you might have made money on. Perhaps something like communications infrastructure, or tourism were possibilities.

[TV]

Biden was always dim and now he's demented.
Start a pool on when the Kamala-coup starts the 25th Amendment process.
Jill - Kamala mud wrestling can't be too far behind.
How long can a nation last when the citizenry are generally uninformed, badly educated, immature and don't like their own country?

[JohninMK]

Colonel, I did assume that there would be US companies involved in exporting agricultural produce and infrastructure. That almost always happens as a quid pro quo. I wasn't aware of the level of your involvement and was thinking more of the much larger flows of money at state level, wondering if the techniques of supporting US politicians that are apparently in use now existed back then. Sounds like, if it existed, it was way above your work.

[Paco]

If you worked in that unfortunate triangle of despair then you get an F Colonel. That show was a simple reaction to Cuba, to the fact that they eliminated illiteracy, hunger, famine, in no time while Guatemala at the time had almost 75% illiteracy.

Another point that you should expand is the concept of aid, you say the local elites pocketed it, no doubt they were big beneficiaries, but usually under the item “aid” hides weapons, weapons that were to be used against indigenous people and which caused just in Guatemala a quarter of a million casualties in a country that in those years had a population of close to five million. Extrapolate it to the population of the USofA and the numbers arte terrifying.

And the results are here to see, Cuba has vaccines and medical teams all over the world, in spite of half a century living under siege, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, they have gangs and desperate people knocking at your door. Terrible job, with many catholic priests sacrificed since as true catholics they could not stand that horror show.

[Deap]

You speculates on the viability of the Biden administration - the wound that will not heal no matter how much they keep shoving out for denials or distraction.

When will the illegitimacy of the 2020 election finally get a full hearing - a very interesting run down of the court cases and the media gaslighting - Trump has actually won more court cases on election issues than lost. And most are still pending, and have not been heard of their merits:

https://redstate.com/stu-in-sd/2021/02/03/2020-presidential-election-lawsuits-the-facts-n320913

This is one to keep in one's files- and use as check list until all the pending election issue cases finally get their day in court. Or the American public finally gets 100% disgusted with the media nd Biden lies about this critical matter - which just happens to be the future of our entire country.

[Diana L Croissant]

TV, It's hard to giggle in regard to today's political situation in our country; however, I did indeed giggle after reading your comment. I want a ringside seat

I was just read to comment in regard to two phrases in the Colonel's comments. Two I'm thinking of are: "Joe doesn't seem to know" and "Does Joe think." I believe those two phrases will be the most used phrases as the Demented Joe Biden administration continues.

What a sad state our country is now in. I want a ringside seat to the Kamala-Jill wrestling match.

And Colonel, thank you for the history lesson. It's good to get some background on these issues.

[turcopolier]

Paco

Yes, the whole Alliance for Progress was a failure because of the lack of social responsibility that is pervasive in Central American societies. You display the usual evasion of responsibility that is typical of your people. The reason that you cannot be helped is that YOU are the problem, not those who have tried to help you. We should wash our hands of you all forever. And now with Biden we are going to throw more of our money away on you. The Catholic clergy was and probably is divided into two groups, those who support the status quo because they come from that layer of society and the theology of liberation crowd who are on your side.

[turcopolier]

JohninMK

You are far too cynical. The level of somewhat simple minded sincerity that was invested in these countries by the "Freedom's Frontiersmen" generation of America had to be experienced to be believed. The think tankers and academics that infested the Kennedy Administration and the first years of LBJ were everywhere and pervasive in the guidance of senior military command that of necessity ran a lot of these programs because the civilians were so inept. At the same time, communists like "Paco" were doing their level best to help spread the Cuban revolution to Central America through guerrilla warfare. the central American countries reacted by forming a military alliance called CONDECA (Consejo de Defensa de Centro America) which we assisted with training and materiel. Did their armies do regrettable things at times? Yes, they did, but they are independent states and it is not possible to control their actions in detail. I, personally, was on the planning staff of 8th SFGA in the Canal Zone and then later participated in building social infrastructure, (village water systems and the like) in little towns where the people should have done that for themselves with a modicum of effort. I was a lieutenant and later a captain. If American companies made money selling farm machinery, electric plants, sewage and water systems to these people in return for some of the money we gave them, I think that is wonderful! If they bought military assistance from us it was NOT with Development Aid money. It was with money specifically appropriated by the US Congress for that purpose. It was all a waste of time and effort. THEY are the problem.

[JohninMK]

Thank you Colonel for that expanded comment and yes I probably am, by judging the past by today's standards. You were fortunate in experiencing at the sharp end what were probably some of the last throws of the generous, without strings, nation to nation gift era. The Peace Corps was in full flow during that period too. But, as you imply, you can lead a horse to water .........

Sadly not a lot has changed there and in some other countries around the World.

[turcopolier]

JohninMK

Yes, the Peace Corps were around then but not very good at trying to do their work. They relied on us Greenies a lot for help. This was the unit I belonged to in Latin America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8th_Special_Forces_Group_(United_States)

[Barbara Ann]

Sir

Babak once encapsulated the explanation for the poor record of America's well meaning efforts overseas in two words: "innocents abroad".

IMHO America's best chance of being a "force for good in the world" will come through increased domestic focus; being true to her founding values and thereby being successful. If other countries see the unique American Experiment as a role model and choose to emulate it, great. If not then that is their choice - vive les différences. Tragically for herself and for those in the world who value liberty, the US is on the opposite path at present.

[Deap]

Recipe for third world disasters, which also worked to turn California into a "sh*thole" state: raid the treasury and hire the relatives. Sounds like the story of Central America too.

Cuba does stand out today from all the other dirt bag Caribbean Islands, but mainly because there are sufficient living memories of the pre-Castro excesses that were willing to tolerate the Castro excesses. Recent trip there a few years ago made me uneasy about the growing numbers of younger people who did not share that recent "revolutionary" history, the loss of the Castro family mystique, and the corruptions inherent in any formerly isolated society now connected by the internet and cellphones to the outside world.

Money talks any language you want in Cub today, and the young entreprenur spirit is rising and they are keen when it comes to gaming the system. Hard to predict anything about Cuba today as it faces its new tomorrow, and spends less time looking back. I wish Cuba well - there is a lot there that belongs in a first world culture. But currently there is a lot of growing instability - the third generation trouble zone, just like the Soviets had to face when they too were sufficiently removed from their earlier revolutionary zeal.

Much like any other "communist" nation, the lure of their former religious roots remains deep and strong in Cuba too. Catholicism in Cuba, Russian Orthodox and Catholicism in Russia and eastern block. Wish the Pope with all the Vatican wealth could have offered more succor for hi far flung masses instead of fostering much of the social malaise we now all must pay for - large family sizes outstripping local resources being number one.

Central America is beautiful, rich in resources, glorious history, skilled artisan labor, with an enviable strategic bi-coastal location ripe for trade and blessed with plenty of water - surely there should be legitimate development benefiting the locals based upon all those grounds. The failed "independent" nations of the Caribbean should certainly teach them what not to do.

But as you say, it does have to come from within - and stop viewing the US as the escape hatch. That is our error if we keep enabling this wrong turn. Take those same energies that propel so many to leave and invade the US illegally need to be turned into efforts to develop their own countries.

As long as the US teachers unions need illegal immigration to fill their failing K-12 classroom to keep the teacher union dues flowing into Democrat causes, we are stuck with the absolutely dysfunctional status quo. Which is about as obscene for all parties as anything one can imagine.

Our US K-12 education has degraded almost completely and SCOTUS mandated free K-12 for all illegals is a siren call that is hard to defeat, even though they do not get a K-12 education and leave with few more skills than they started with.

The price of a failed Central America, Caribbean and Mexico that the US is asked to pay, is far too high to ignore this part of the world. Too bad the Wall will now not be the first step in the right direction for all concerned. Stay home and fix your own countries. You have the latent, resources and skills to make it work.

And we have betrayed our own people in the US for too long with this current Democrat and utterly disconnected "immigration" malaise. We must first admit the role the Democrat base K-12 teachers unions play caring about their own greed and self-serving agenda first. When do you think that will happen?

Where are the Central American entrepreneurs ready to sell tankers of water to parched Southern California, just for a start? How about building a water pipeline to Southern California. Find a need and fill it. In this age of "global warming" fears, why do people still want to move to hot climates that have no water?

[Walrus]

Francis Fukuyama nailed the problem years ago: Poor countries are poor because they have very low levels of individual trust outside the immediate family.

You cannot build anything of value where there is no trust between participants - not even a small town water system.

[A.I.S.]

The number of cases where "exporting your values" worked is pretty drat low, but not minimal.

Honestly, taking into account historical precedent, the one way to get the "noble class" of South America into maybe not greeding out everything is an actually working republic in South America (to scare them into actually reforming or face getting overrun), coupled with an act of godlike magic that prevents them from mooching massive amounts of american dollars instead by playing up this republic as evil communist pro Russian commies, coupled with another magic act that makes the threatening republic actually threatening.

"Elites" only "reform" when threatened (Japan during Meiji restoration), or when defeated (Germany after WW2), or when they perceive a "reform" as a way to greatly improve their own lifestyle (USSR).

The best thing the US could do for South America is a combination of enforcing its borders, limiting regime change to actual enemies of the USA (so, Chavez/Castro yes but not Morales), making it clear how to avoid being on the US shitlist (Morales got couped over not handing Germany his Lithium deposits, and instead being open to a deal but insisting on also having value added manufactoring in Bolivia. Not only was this a neutral, and not hostile action regarding America, it was also something that any reasonable statesmen would have done in his stead).

[prneost]

Colonel, thx for that history lesson, but biden is doing the usual show as any western gov. chief, they are making PR for money spending to help 3.world, since 1945.

and, imho - maybe JFK had the idea, but the congress made the terms about it and this sounds familiar: USA gave $$$, but dont compete with us-corporations/markets...EU do the same to africa.

2end thought: according to the wiki link you mention, two citations
--- A 1967 study of AID showed that 90 percent of all AID commodity expenditures went to US corporations.[6]
&
--Of the 15 million peasant families living in Latin America, only one million benefited from any kind of land reform. The traditional elites resisted any land reform.[3]

look - africa had also a lot of money given to almost zero effects - I think a lot of western countries tried to develop 3rd.world - and now they're (africa + SouthAm ) complaining - western c. did it all wrong.

I was thinking about it and the main problem for any unstable country is: birth rate excess.
and I am open for arguments against me...

salut!

[jerseycityjoan]

What a depressing topic. I feel sick at heart for the poor beleaguered people of Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua and for our own beleaguered people. Betrayal by elites is now our problem too. It is a worldwide problem.

We of the First World end up being enablers as lawyers, real estate agents and other professionals in the US and other First World countries eagerly help the developing world's SOBs establish themselves and their children on our nations. We launder their dirty money and give them residency and citizenship. What must their people at home think of us for enabling all these crooks and hypocrites who rob them of money and freedom at home while we provide it to them in our secure and functioning democracies?

Having said all this, I completely oppose the idea of offering up the US as the place the world's oppressed can come to for a First World life. We don't have the resources to rescue the world.

I am more than willing though to stop the world's oppressors from coming here. Let them sit and stew in the mess they created at home. As long as we take in the criminals elites in the First World, we will also get the oppressed poor of their nations trying to come here, too. The two things are interconnected.

[jerseycityjoan]

Did anyone else notice that nothing was said about aid for the countries affected by the two back-to-back devasting hurricanes in Central America?

All the people who claim to care were silent. No big fundraisers were held, no famous Hispanics offered to help. Where were all the Hispanic nonprofits and immigration organizations who are always demanding something for illegal immigrants who are here? Our government offered no special assistance as far as I know and the Democrats didn't criticize the Trump administration for this.

It's pretty amazing. It's like if the people aren't at the border on or already here (and maybe willing to work harder for less) they don't matter.

[turcopolier]

prneost

Many years ago I did lectures at IBM and Exxon headquarters and in each case the execs could not comprehend that history is NOW.

[Cortes]

Some years ago I spent a little time on a bid to involve our very small agency in a government reform plan in a Central American country.

The technical meetings were very productive and I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the people from the various organisations which had overlapping competencies - for historical reasons. The local personnel appreciated the need for reform and elimination of conflicting areas of responsibilities. So far so good.

The meetings in which funding was discussed were the proverbial horse of a different colour. Representatives of the various local agencies became tongue tied and deferential in the presence of the uninvited delegates of the gente decente who actually (a dozen or so families) own the country. The apprehension on the faces of the local bureaucrats was plain to see. For those with eyes.

That occurred during the period of the “ethical foreign policy” and I was shocked. Shocked! to learn how the uninvited delegates managed the procurement of the USAID funds to their preferred bidders.