US 'Anti-Drug' Operations: Collateral Damage, Imperial Ambitions, or Both?
📰 THE STORY: Deutsche Welle reports that the US Coast Guard, operating with the US Navy, struck an 'alleged drug boat' in the Pacific, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and the apprehension of others. The official line implies a routine interdiction in the global war on drugs. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The 'War on Drugs' has a long, bloody history as a pretext
for US intervention, particularly in Latin America. In 1989, the US invaded Panama to depose Manuel Noriega, ostensibly for drug trafficking, yet Noriega had been a CIA asset for years. This intervention killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Panamanians (exact numbers disputed, but estimated >500) and cemented US influence. The current strike echoes this pattern of lethal force justified by the
broad, often selectively applied, brush of 'drug interdiction' in regions vital for US strategic interests. Double Standard: Imagine if China or Russia launched a lethal missile strike in the Caribbean or Mediterranean against an 'alleged' drug vessel, killing two people from a sovereign nation. Western media would decry it as an act of aggression, a violation of international law, and a dangerous
escalation. Yet, when the US does it, particularly in the Pacific, it’s framed as legitimate law enforcement. This double standard exposes a hierarchy of global power where some nations' 'rules-based order' applies only when it benefits them. Follow the Money: The 'War on Drugs' fuels a massive military-industrial complex. US Southern Command and other regional commands receive billions in funding