US 'Donroe Doctrine' of Intervention, Minus the Historical Amnesia
The New Arab astutely flags Donald Trump's 'Donroe Doctrine,' comparing his Venezuela threats to the original Monroe Doctrine from 1823, which declared the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European meddling. The irony, of course, is that the US then immediately claimed it as *its own exclusive meddling zone*. This wasn't some historical anomaly; it set a precedent. From the countless coups in
Latin America to the Bay of Pigs, Panama, and Nicaragua, the 'Donroe Doctrine' has always been operational, just without the catchy branding. One might wonder why the media frames this as a new development, rather than a continuation of a near-200-year-old tradition. Is it 'doctrine' when a European power acts, but merely 'freedom spreadeagle' when Washington does it? (One might also recall the US
attempting to buy Greenland, a policy that seems less about 'defense' and more about 'domination.')