Okay, I mentioned on the "What is America" thread in GD that there were many proud and great things about America. However, I also mentioned that America has done some things in the past 50 years that have made me embarrassed of it. I post this "record" for comment and review. Please point out inaccuracies.
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Societies and country governments do things that annoy one another, but we have to deal with that anger and frustration in appropriate ways. We don't get irritated at somebody and just because we're mad at them drop a bomb. Do we?

1954: US overthrows democratically-elected President Arbenez of Guatemal. 200,000 civilians killed.

1963: US backs assassination of S. Vietnamese President Diem.

1963-75: US kills 4 million in SouthEast Asia (I'd especially like US casualties during Vietnam to counterbalance this figure)

9/11/1973: US Stages Coup in Chile. Democratically-elected President Salvadore Allende assassinated. Dictator Pinochet installed. 5,000 murdered.

1977: US backs military rulers in El Salvador. 70,000 Salvadorians and 4 Americans killed.

1980: US trains Osama bin Laden to fight Soviets in Afghanistan. CIA gives over $3 billion to Osama.

1981: Reagan Admin trains and funds the "Contras." 30,000 Nicaraguans die.

1982: US gives billions to S. Hussein for weapons to kill Iranians.

1983: White House secretly gives iran weapons ti kill Iraqis (compare with 1982, above).

1989: CIA Agent Manuel Noriega, acting president of Panama, disobeys orders from D.C. US invades Panama, removes Noriega. 3,000 Panamanian deaths.

1990: Iraq invades Kuwait using US weapons and weapons purchased with US dollars.

1991: US attacks Iraq, reinstates dictator of Kuwait.

1998: Clinton bombs "weapons factory" in Sudan. As it turns out, the factory makes Aspirin.
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Bonus points: Where did TL find the info arranged in this fashion and tone?

http://www.vietnamwall.org/casualty.html

Also this source lists the NVA/VC casualties at 1.1 million dead and 600,000 wounded.

[ 11-24-2003, 04:11 AM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

Must come from the NRO?

Not really - sounds like Bowling for Columbine. But I'm sure the list was longer - have you left deliberately things out?

[ 11-24-2003, 06:34 AM: Message edited by: Donut ]

It is Bowling for Columbine, and actually I'm pretty sure I've left nothing out. If I did it was inadvertant. ;)

You forgot the about the CIA funding and training Osama Bin Ladan to fight the USSR in Afghanistan.

And the consequences of abandoning OBL and Afghanistan after the Soviets were gone.

Oh and almost forgot, about the aid we gave the Taliban up to 2000.

Nope.
I meant that I forgot nothing that Moore portrayed in Bowling for Columbine. Of course his mini-factoid on history is incomplete. And leading. ;)

[ 11-24-2003, 10:49 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

Nope.

Quote:

By Timber, of the Loftis clan: 1980: US trains Osama bin Laden to fight Soviets in Afghanistan. CIA gives over $3 billion to Osama.

Quote:

Rokenn: And the consequences of abandoning OBL and Afghanistan after the Soviets were gone. Oh and almost forgot, about the aid we gave the Taliban up to 2000.

I meant that I forgot nothing that Moore portrayed in Bowling for Columbine. Of course his mini-factoid on history is incomplete. And leading. ;) </font>[/QUOTE]opps my bad [img]smile.gif[/img]

Though I am pretty certain the last slide in that sequence of the movie was 9/11. I'll double check that tonight [img]smile.gif[/img]