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0048f13 At a meeting of the National Security Council on March 4, 1953, Eisenhower wondered aloud why it wasn't possible "to get some of the people in these downtrodden countries to like us instead of hating us." Stephen Kinzer
3b45b98 Dulles had two lifelong obsessions: fighting Communism and protecting the rights of multinational corporations. Stephen Kinzer
4606d22 because he had such an ingrained and perhaps exaggerated faith in democracy, he did nothing to repress it. Stephen Kinzer
6e2e880 Americans have always been idealists. They want their country to act for pure motives, Stephen Kinzer
0c14db4 From the vantage point of history, however, it is clear that most of these operations actually weakened American security. They cast whole regions of the world into upheaval, creating whirlpools of instability from which undreamed-of threats arose years later. Stephen Kinzer
faa6473 Caught up in the all-encompassing idea of their country's "manifest destiny," they convinced themselves that American influence abroad could only be positive and that anyone who rejected it must be bad." Stephen Kinzer
549bf53 All that this country desires is that the other republics on this continent shall be happy and prosperous," Theodore Roosevelt declared, "and they cannot be happy and prosperous unless they maintain order within their boundaries and behave with a just regard for their obligations toward outsiders." Stephen Kinzer
2400c1c McKinley was known above all for his inscrutability. He gave almost all the people he met the impression that he agreed with them, and rarely allowed even his closest advisers to know what he was thinking. Stephen Kinzer
f06e6be the idea of using the Roman Catholic clergy to turn Guatemalans against Arbenz. Catholic priests and bishops in Guatemala, as in other Latin American countries, were closely aligned with the ruling class, and they loathed reformers like Arbenz. Stephen Kinzer
7de6dbd the battle in defense of natural resources. Stephen Kinzer
71e9116 Until this episode, many Americans had believed that their soldiers were different from others, operating on a higher moral plane because their cause was good. Stephen Kinzer
c81ad5e Most American-sponsored "regime change" operations have, in the end, weakened rather than strengthened American security." Stephen Kinzer
92ab784 Countries that have the power to interfere in foreign lands almost always do so. Stephen Kinzer
45fa192 One of the most immutable patterns of history is the rise and fall of empires and great nations. Some Americans, however, believe their country to be so far beyond comparison with any other country or empire that has ever existed that it has passed beyond the reach of history. Stephen Kinzer
330c3f5 Americans overthrew governments only when economic interests coincided with ideological ones. Stephen Kinzer
9e44cf9 modern Afghan history shows that "an ounce of nation-building prevention will be worth a pound of military-operation cure." Stephen Kinzer
5c20eab The central reason that Bush rejected the ambitious option of long-term engagement in Afghanistan, however, was that his attention was focused elsewhere. He understood the importance of stabilizing Afghanistan and would certainly have been happy to capture bin Laden and his henchmen, but his zeal for these projects paled beside his obsession with Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Stephen Kinzer
907b8c9 Had we to do it over again," he said in an interview sixteen months after the invasion, "we would look at the consequences of catastrophic success." Stephen Kinzer
f77ccc4 the idea of invading Iraq was first urged on him after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, he could not fail to recognize it as a way to have his revenge, complete the job his father had begun, and redeem his family's honor. Stephen Kinzer
1e64abd If it were possible to control the course of world events by deposing foreign governments, the United States would be unchallenged. It has deposed far more of them than any other modern nation. The stories of what has happened in the aftermath of these operations, however, make clear that Americans do not know what to do with countries after removing their leaders. They easily succumb to the temptation to stage coups or invasions but turn q.. Stephen Kinzer
d9dccc5 President Johnson soon Americanized the war that resulted in the death of a generation. Stephen Kinzer
ae3694b Lucy constituted only 28 per cent of a half skeleton (and only about 20 per cent of a full one). Bill Bryson
439714a The shah did not tolerate dissent and repressed opposition newspapers, political parties, trade unions, and civic groups. As a result, the only place Iranian dissidents could find a home was in mosques and religious schools, Stephen Kinzer
f4e6f0c Like many American "regime change" operations, Operation Ajax seemed like a success at first." Stephen Kinzer
f822aa1 Nixon pressed him relentlessly, and also because the anti-Allende project fit perfectly with his view of the world and of America's place in it. Stephen Kinzer
b9099a1 He projected American power through regional allies like Iran, Zaire, and Indonesia, and turned a blind eye as dictators in those countries oppressed and looted with abandon. Stephen Kinzer
3fe95e9 We used to be the fucker," one of Anaconda's lawyers lamented. "Now we're the fuckee." Stephen Kinzer
20a2676 As Allende was trying to withstand the American campaign, he also faced intense pressure from groups of workers and peasants whose revolutionary passion he had helped to awaken. Stephen Kinzer
e43547b Yet Haq was also an outspoken nationalist. His dream was that once the Taliban was overthrown, it would be replaced by a regime free of all outside influence. Stephen Kinzer
96a6f8f This upheaval came while the region was still recovering from the shock of the Islamic revolution in Iran, which radically reshaped the strategic map of the Middle East and Central Asia. Stephen Kinzer
583e1d5 Whatever doubts the Americans had about the wisdom of embracing Zia were overwhelmed by their determination to intensify the rebellion in Afghanistan. Stephen Kinzer
38e27b7 To all of this the CIA agreed. It subcontracted to Pakistan the job of directing the Afghan rebellion. Stephen Kinzer
59055a5 Each of these four coups was launched against a government that was reasonably democratic (with the arguable exception of South Vietnam), and each ultimately led to the installation of a repressive dictatorship. Stephen Kinzer
540721f They led to the fall of leaders who embraced American ideals, and the imposition of others who detested everything Americans hold dear. Stephen Kinzer
2f19e3d The Saudis were already deeply involved in Pakistan. They had sent Zia large sums of money to open religious schools catering to both impoverished Pakistanis and Afghan refugees. To ensure that these schools taught only the puritanical Wahhabi form of Islam and that students were not exposed to such corrupting subjects as history or science, they also sent hundreds of mullahs, Koran readers, and religious teachers. Stephen Kinzer
173a78a Vendidit hic auro patriam. Aeneid
be82922 some memories, too, might better be forgotten. didn't Obasan once say, "it is better to forget"? what purpose is served by hauling forth the jar of inedible food? if it is not seen, it does not horrify. what is past recall is past pain." Joy Kogawa
dc2f9cf In a time like this, let us trust in God even more. To trust when life is easy is no trust. canadian faith god japan japanese trust Joy Kogawa
3e7222d Gentle Mother, we were lost together in our silences. Our wordlessness was our mutual destruction. Joy Kogawa
bb6bc6b He wanted away from Mireille's parents, all these people who said one thing and meant another. "You" Roxane Gay
c29e62e Pacemne huc fertis an arma? Aeneid
351ef40 Prisca fides facto, sed fama perennis. Aeneid
dff9ef0 At all events, rather less is known about Lucy than is generally supposed. It isn't even actually known that she was a female. Bill Bryson
64781b7 That was 1986. That year I felt myself to be drowning in the news reports of murder. I was aware that these murders very often did not land upon the intended targets but fell upon great-aunts, PTA mothers, overtime uncles, and joyful children--fell upon them random and relentless, like great sheets of rain. I knew this in theory but could not understand it as fact until the boy with the small eyes stood across from me holding my entire body.. Ta-Nehisi Coates