The principle criticism of Donald Trump by the main wing of the U.S. ruling class, as advanced by liberals flooding the pages of their chief mouthpiece, the New York Times, is that Trump is destroying the “world order of peace and prosperity” that the U.S. has led for the 70 years since the end of World War II. They indict Trump’s “systematic rejection of longstanding American values…that actually made America great,” a “benign empire, held together by…respect rather than force.” NYT, 6/19)
While the decline of U.S.-led world order is very much real, the “peace and prosperity” is all fake news. Those 70 years of “benign peace” include these U.S.-rulers’ military interventions:
- Syria (1949) — Pres. Truman instigated a coup overthrowing elected government because a U.S. corporate oil pipeline was being delayed; six weeks after the coup, the pipeline was approved.
- Korea (1950-1953) — U.S. invasion
- Laos (1953-1975) — U.S. bombing
- Iran (1953) — Pres. Eisenhower had CIA overthrow elected Mossadegh government and install Shah as dictator.
- Guatemala (1954) — U.S. instigated overthrow of a popularly elected government’s land reform, installing a military dictatorship murdering 100,000 workers and peasants.
- Lebanon (1958) — U.S. sends troops to intervene in election.
- Cuba (1961) — Bay of Pigs invasion to overthrow Castro government; defeated.
- Guyana (1963-64) — CIA, AFL-CIO joined forces to overthrow Cheddi Jagan government.
- Vietnam (1965-1975) — U.S. invaded, bombed North and South Vietnam, killing three million; defeated.
- Domincan Republic (1965) — Pres. Johnson ordered invasion to install “friendly” gov’t.
- Cambodia (1967-1975) — Invade and bomb, part of war against Vietnam.
- Chile (1973) — CIA and Kissinger engineer coup to overthrow elected Allende government, install Pinochet dictatorship.
- Lebanon (1982-84) — Reagan sends troops; withdraws after bombing of U.S. embassy.
- Grenada (1983) — Reagan invades to overthrow elected government, install “friendly” one.
- Nicaragua (1985) — Reagan arms, finances Contras to attack elected government.
- Panama (1989-90) — Bush, Sr., orders invasion to install new government.
- Iraq Gulf War I (1990-91) — Bush, Sr. deploys 500,000 troops to oppose Saddam Hussein in Kuwait.
- Iraq no-fly zone (1991-2003) — Food and medicine denial results in death of 500,000 children.
- Bosnia (1992-95) — Clinton’s bombings destroy much of infrastructure.
- Haiti (1994-95) — U.S. troops invade to install “friendly” government, insure U.S. corporate investments.
- Kosovo (1998-99) — Massive U.S. bombings.
- Afghanistan (2001, ongoing) — Longest U.S. war in history, Bush, Jr., and Obama deploy hundreds of thousands of troops, spread mass destruction.
- Iraq II (2003-2011) — Bush, Jr., and Obama hit fictional “weapons of mass destruction,” kill hundreds of thousands.
- Pakistan (2004-2018) — 10,000 drone airstrikes, kill thousands of civilians.
- Somalia (2007-2018) — Troops support U.S. side in civil war.
- Libya (2011) — Obama’s 11,200 air strikes support U.S. side in civil war.
- Iraq (2014-2017) — Obama/Trump’s 10,000 air strikes.
- Syria (2014 – 2018) — Obama-Trump’s 11,200 air strikes.
- Yemen (2015-2018) — U.S. arms Saudi-led invasion, erects naval blockade.
- Libya 2015-2019) — Arm one side in second Libyan civil war.
In 2007, Bush, Jr. established the U.S. Africa Command to direct U.S. troops in nine African countries.
From 1946 to 2000, the U.S. intervened in foreign elections in 81 countries, overtly and covertly — Italy, Japan, Philippines, and Lebanon, among others. (Carnegie-Mellon University researchers) One example: “U.S. played important role in Italy in 1948 in preventing a Communist Party victory [over the Christian Democrats]; “covertly delivered ‘bags of money’ to cover Christian Democrats’ expenses, sent experts to help run their elections” and threatened to end U.S. “aid” to Italy if communists were to win. They did the same in seven subsequent elections.
Such is the U.S. world order of peace. If working people want peace, we need to fight for it. For a world without imperialist violence, we need to build a communist-led world order.