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From: al@ames-lm.UUCP (Al Globus)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Nicaraguan Arms Smuggling
Message-ID: <213@ames-lm.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Apr-84 22:55:32 EST
Article-I.D.: ames-lm.213
Posted: Thu Apr 19 22:55:32 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Apr-84 00:35:01 EST
References: <7553@watmath.UUCP>
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 31

I get deja vu everytime someone tells me about all the wonderful
things that have happened in Nicaragua since the revolution.  I
think about all the wonderful things that Americans visiting Russia
in the 30's told us about Communism, while Stalin murdered tens
of millions of Soviet citizens.  I think about all the folk in the
60's that assured me that hunger had been eliminated in China, which
turned out not to be true at all.  The similarity is straight forward,
all those good things happen where we can't get a good look at what's
going on.  The information is controlled by the local government and
they come out looking sweet.

Maybe Nicaragua's different, but that picture of a soldier holding
an automatic rifle at a baseball game didn't make much sense 
(Co-Evolution Quarterly).  And
what about that priest that Nicaragua said the Contra's killed, who
came marching out of the jungle a few weeks later at the head of
a few hundred Indians.  He had some harsh words for the Sandinstas.
And how about Commander Zero?  Why's he fighting the government and,
unlike the turkeys the CIA is backing, winning?

The U.S. has run Latin America for decades, and we've done a lousy
job.  Whatever trouble Russia stirred up is tiny compared to the
damage we've done with our manipulation and repeated invasions.  We
should get out, but don't give me a bunch of bunk about how wonderful
Nicaragua is now that no one can get a good close look at what's
happening.

Incidentally, I suspect Russia wants us to do exactly what Reagan
is trying to do, get heavily involved with troops on the ground.
It will be a morass that will sap our strength and divert our
attention.  And we certainly won't be doing the locals any favors.