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From: pollack@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: WhGrenada WHO?!?!?! - (nf)
Message-ID: <3441@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Oct-83 03:39:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.3441
Posted: Wed Oct 26 03:39:30 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Oct-83 03:31:17 EDT
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#R:uiucuxc:21200013:uicsl:16300024:000:2826
uicsl!pollack    Oct 26 00:49:00 1983

"Why are we in Grenada" You ask?

As Reagun might have put it, "To demonstrate the thesis that the US can
'restore democracy' to a nation being 'ruled out of the barrel of a
gun' by 'Marxist-Leninist thugs' who 'shot their way into power'".


("Why have I been sick to my stomach all day," I ask?)

If it works, and we succeed in setting up a new dictator (probably a
major who incited the generals to coup) to administer the "democracy"
you can be sure that a large percentage of the Grenadian population, who
have participated in the New Jewel Movement, will disappear.

If it works, and if the US people do not protest LOUDLY (Is the "Silent
Majority" as apathetic as the Russian people?), you can be sure that the
thesis will be tested again in Nicaragua, with or without medical
students to protect.

Should Americans be proud of the response time and strategic accuracy
(cut phone lines, take airports, kill Cubans, but forget about
students) of our "Rapid Deployment Force? No, because they were very
well prepared for these military operations. Reports from Barbados over
a year ago had US marines and Green Berets in training with
ex-Granadian soldiers.

It is not the demonstration of violence by a power-hungry and brutal
military that made us invade Grenada, we've been planning it for a long
time. There have been bloody military coups and instability and
Americans in mortal danger in Chile, Turkey, El Slave-ador, Guatemala,
etc. but we haven't invaded a country in this particular fashion since
the Dominican Republic in 1965, ostensibly to protect the assets of
Gulf & Western.

Fact is, that although Bishop was moderately leftist and had wide
support among Grenadians, he still trusted in private enterprise and
international aid. Unfortunately for him,  a socialist-tainted
government in this hemisphere is still an irritant to certain leaders
of our great country.  And although we have maintained formal
diplomatic relations with Grenada since the "bloodless coup" (read
"change in government by popular demand") in 1979, we have nonetheless
boycotted their economy, accused them of being a Soviet Base, and
refused to greet Bishop as is customary for heads of state when they
visit Washington.

I don't dispute the horror of the murders committed by Grenada's
generals earlier this week, but considering that US troops have been
stationed in Barbados and poised for invading Grenada for some time, it
seems that, rather than acting in their own self-interest, the generals
just took care of some of the preliminary and high-profile dirty-work
of a counter-revolution.



There will undoubtedly be Anti-Intervention Rallies all around the
country in the next few days, and, undoubtedly, the number of people
marching in Washington on Nov. 12 will swell.


Jordan Pollack
...pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!pollack