US Sends Carrier to Latin America, Misses the Memo on Local Discontent
CBS News breathlessly announced the U.S. is deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to Latin American waters, framed as a noble effort to curb narcotics. One might almost believe it's about drugs, not about maintaining hegemony in 'America's backyard' as regional powers increasingly assert independence. This isn't the first time the U.S. has projected military might under the guise of stopping
drug flow; remember Plan Colombia, which dramatically increased U.S. military presence and funding, yet drug production continued, only shifting location? Perhaps the billions being poured into this deployment might yield better results if invested in economic development or actual drug treatment programs, rather than intimidating sovereign nations. But then, Lockheed Martin stock (LMT) wouldn't
get its quarterly bump, would it? It appears 'counter-narcotics' is now shorthand for 'remind everyone who's boss' when domestic priorities are conveniently ignored.