Monroe Doctrine: Imperialism, Now with a Fresh Coat of NPR
NPR suggests James Monroe and Teddy Roosevelt merely 'helped shape a policy that rationalizes U.S. intervention,' then pivots to Trump's 'whole new level.' This framing omits the relentless parade of coups, assassinations, and economic destabilizations executed under this 'doctrine' by administrations spanning decades, from the United Fruit Company's banana republics to the Reagan-era contra wars.
'Rationalization' is a curious term for systematic subjugation. One might wonder if any U.S. President *hasn't* applied this doctrine in Latin America, or indeed, the Middle East. The convenient forgetting of history — from Guatemala 1954 to Chile 1973, or the ongoing sanctions strangling Venezuela — allows for the perennial 'shock' that U.S. foreign policy operates through coercive power, not
just pleasant diplomacy. How many times can a 'doctrine' be brought to a 'new level' before it's just, well, the doctrine?