Foreign Intervention in Latin America

Foreign Intervention in Latin America Foreign Intervention in Latin America: One of the recurring themes of The History of Latin America is that of foreign intervention. Like Africa, India and the Middle East, Latin America has a long history of meddling by foreign powers, all of them European and North American. These interventions have profoundly shaped the character and history of the region. Here are some of the more important ones: The Conquest: The conquest of the Americas is probably the greatest act of foreign intervention in history. Between 1492 and 1550 or so when most native dominions were brought under foreign control, millions died, entire peoples and cultures were wiped out, and the wealth gained in the New World propelled Spain and Portugal into golden ages. Within 100 years of Columbus First Voyage, most of the New World was under the heel of these two European powers. The Age of Piracy: With Spain and Portugal flaunting their newfound wealth in Europe, other countries wanted to get in on the action. In particular, the English, French and Dutch all tried to capture valuable Spanish colonies and loot for themselves. During times of war, pirates were given official license to attack foreign ships and rob them: these men were called privateers. The Age of Piracy left profound marks in the Caribbean and coastal ports all over the New World. The Monroe Doctrine : In 1823, American President James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine, which basically was a warning to Europe to stay out of the western hemisphere. Although the Monroe Doctrine did, in fact, keep Europe at bay, it also opened the doors for American intervention in the business of its smaller neighbors. French Intervention in Mexico: After the disastrous â€Å"Reform War† of 1857 to 1861, Mexico could not afford to pay off its foreign debts. France, Britain and Spain all sent forces to collect, but some frantic negotiating resulted in the British and Spanish recalling their troops. The French, however, stayed, and captured Mexico City. The famous Battle of Puebla, remembered on May 5, took place at this time. The French found a nobleman, Maximilian of Austria, and made him Emperor of Mexico in 1863. In 1867, Mexican forces loyal to President Benito Jurez re-took the city and executed Maximilian. The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine: Due in part to the French intervention and also to a German incursion into Venezuela in 1901-1902, US President Theodore Roosevelt took the Monroe doctrine one step further. Basically, he reiterated the warning to European powers to keep out, but also said that the United States would be responsible for all of Latin America. This often resulted in the United States sending troops to countries that could not afford to pay their debts, such as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, all of which were at least partially occupied by the US between 1906 and 1934. Halting the Spread of Communism: When fear of spreading communism gripped the United States after World War II, it would often intervene in Latin America in favor of conservative dictators. One famous example took place in Guatemala in 1954, when the CIA ousted leftist president Jacobo Arbenz from power for threatening to nationalize some lands held by the United Fruit Company, which was owned by Americans. The CIA would later attempt to assassinate Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro in addition to mounting the infamous Bay of Pigs invasion. There are many more examples, too numerous to list here. The US and Haiti: The USA and Haiti have a complicated relationship dating back to the time both were colonies of England and France respectively. Haiti has always been a troubled nation, vulnerable to manipulation by the powerful country not far to the north. From 1915 to 1934 the USA occupied Haiti, fearing political unrest. The United States has sent forces to Haiti as recently as 2004 with the purpose of stabilizing the volatile nation after a contested election. Lately, the relationship has improved, with the USA sending humanitarian aid to Haiti after the destructive 2010 earthquake. Foreign Intervention in Latin America Today: Times have changed, but foreign powers are still very active in meddling in the affairs of Latin America. France still owns a colony (French Guyana) on mainland South America and the United States and Britain still control islands in the Caribbean. The United States has sent forces to Haiti as recently as 2004 with the purpose of stabilizing the volatile nation after a contested election. Many people believed that the CIA was actively trying to undermine the government of Hugo Chvez in Venezuela: Chvez himself certainly thought so. Latin Americans resent being bullied by foreign powers: it is their defiance of the United States that has made folk heroes out of Chvez and Castro. Unless Latin America gains considerable economic, political and military might, however, things do not look to change much in the short term.

Quotes From Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Quotes From 'Flowers for Algernon' by Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon is a famous novel by Daniel Keyes. Its a bittersweet novel of a mentally disabled man named Charlie, who undergoes an experimental procedure to gain higher intelligence. The book follows his evolution from his low level, through his experiences of coming to understand the world around him. The book raises ethical and moral questions about the treatment of the disabled and happiness. The story is told through Charlies diaries and other documents. One of the ways Keyes portrayed Charlies intelligence was through the evolution of his spelling and  grammar.   Quotes From Flowers for Algernon Any one who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eye are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the minds eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye; and he who remembers this when he sees any one whose vision is perplexed and weak, will not be too ready to laugh; he will first ask whether that soul of man has come out of the brighter life, and is unable to see because unaccustomed to the dark, or having turned from darkness to the day is dazzled by excess of light. And he will count the one happy in his condition and state of being, and he will pity the other.  -The Republic, Prefaceall my life I wantid to be smart and not dumb and my mom always tolld me to try and lern just like Miss Kinnian tells me but its very hard to be smart and even when I lern something in Miss Kinnians class at the school I ferget alot.  I dint know mice were so smart.  If your smart you can have lots of frends to talk to and you never get lonley by yourself all the time.   Some times somebody will say hey lookit Frank, or Joe or even Gimpy. He really pulled a Charlie Gordon that time. I dont know why they say it but they always laff and I laff too.I beet Algernon. I dint even know I beet him until Burt Selden told me. Then the second time I lost because I got so excited. But after that I beet him 8 more times. I must be getting smart to beat a smart mouse like Algernon. But I dont feel smarter.She says Im a fine person and Ill show them all. I asked her why. She said never mind but I shouldnt feel bad if I find out everybody isnt nice like I think.  One thing? I, like: about, Dear Miss Kinnian: (thats, the way? it goes; in a business, letter (if I ever go! into business?) is that, she: always gives me a reason when - I ask. Shes a genius! I coud be smart like-her, Punctuation , is? fun!  I never knew before that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around just to make fun of me. Now I know what they mean wen they say to pull a Charlie Gord on. Im ashamed. Now I want you to look at this card, Charlie. What might this be? What do you see on this card? People see all kinds of things in these inkblots. Tell me what it makes you think of.I was seeing them clearly for the first time - not gods or even heroes, but just two men worried about getting something out of their work.  It had been all right as long as they could laugh at me and appear clever at my expense, but now they were feeling inferior to the moron. I began to see that by my astonishing growth I had made them shrink and emphasized their inadequacies.  I had betrayed them, and they hated me for it.  Our relationship is becoming increasingly strained. I resent Nemurs constant references to me as a laboratory specimen. He makes me feel that before the experiment was not really a human being.  What did you expect? Did you think Id remain a docile pup, wagging my tail and licking the foot that kicks me? I no longer have to take the kind of crap that people have been handing me all my life.   Remembering how my mother looked before she gave birth to my sister is frightening. But even more frightening is the feeling that I wanted them to catch me and beat me. Why did I want to be punished? Shadows out of the past clutch at my legs and drag me down. I open my mouth to scream, but I am voiceless. My hands are trembling, I feel cold, and there is a distant humming in my ears.  It may sound like ingratitude, but that is one of the things I hate here - the attitude that I am a guinea pig. Nemurs constant references to having made me what I am, or that someday there will be others like me who will become real human beings. How can I make him understand that he did not create me?  They had pretended to be geniuses. But they were just ordinary men working blindly, pretending to be able to bring light into the darkness. Why is it that everyone lies? No one I know is what he appears to be.  Nothing in our minds is ever really gone. The operation had covered him over with a ven eer of education and culture, but emotionally he was therewatching and waiting.   Im not your friend. Im your enemy. Im not going to give up my intelligence without a struggle. I cant go back down into that cave. Theres no place for me to go now, Charlie. So youve got to stay away.  ARTIFICIALLY-INDUCED INTELLIGENCE DETERIORATES AT A RATE OF TIME DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE QUANTITY OF THE INCREASE.the men of the cave would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes.  I passed your floor on the way up, and now Im passing it on the way down, and I dont think Ill be taking this elevator again.  P.S. please if you get a chance put some flowers on Algernons grave in the back yard.