US Warship Nears Latin America, Ignoring US's Own Monroe Doctrine
The USS Helena, a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, has reportedly arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, just a day after a Russian warship task force entered Havana harbor. DW, like much of the mainstream media, frames this as a necessary response to 'tensions'—a vague descriptor for any Russian presence in what the US has historically considered its exclusive backyard. One might naturally wonder
why the US finds foreign military vessels near its borders so alarming, yet its own naval deployments to places like the South China Sea or the Persian Gulf are routinely presented as upholding 'freedom of navigation' or 'regional stability.' This naval deployment serves as a stark reminder of America's own Monroe Doctrine, established in 1823, which declared the Western Hemisphere off-limits to
European colonization and intervention. The Doctrine has been invoked by the US repeatedly to justify its dominance and numerous interventions across Latin America—often toppling elected governments or supporting brutal dictators. Now, with a literal US warship approaching while Russia's fleet visits an allied nation, the hypocrisy is almost palpable. Apparently, 'rising tensions' and foreign
presence are only concerning when the 'foreigners' aren't wearing red, white, and blue. The US maintains 750 overseas military bases in 80 countries, dwarfing any other nation's global footprint. But sure, Russia sending a ship to its ally is the real threat here.