The Dark Side of American Foreign Policy

 America isn’t always the “nice guy.”

The University of Georgia’s Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society held a lecture Monday afternoon regarding America’s secret foreign policy.

Professor Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor of Public and International Affairs at UGA, captured the ears of many curious students and associate professors as he spoke of some surprising and unknown United States covert operations and the ways in which they’re accomplished

 Covert action is a U.S. attempt to change the course of history. Yes, the big bad boys in Washington, D.C. tamper with fate.

Author of over 150 articles and 22 books on U.S. national security, Johnson identified four methods in which the U.S. tries to manipulate the outcome of events.

The first method comes as no surprise: propaganda. American politicians distribute information to global news sources and coerce them with stipends to print stories favorable to America’s image.

 But that’s not all money is used for; In addition to buying a reputation, money can also buy friends.

Making friends the old way with a simple introduction and handshake is apparently overrated, as the CIA secretly “buys off” its allies.

There is no quality playground time or dinner conversation. Instead, the U.S. government gives money to those countries with similar beliefs and attitudes.

The more appalling methods used to tamper with fate, methods three and four, created a little more arousal and tension from the audience.

 Method three: Destroy the economy of all U.S. enemies.

Just in case compromise and conversation with foreign countries fails, the U.S. makes its demands of these countries clear and opinion known by destroying foreign economies.

The last and most controversial method to getting things done is pure military operations, starting wars and using appeals to force in order to get foreign powers to conform to America’s agenda.

As Johnson indicated, the most astonishing part of past covert actions, specifically those in the 1960’s, is that 75% of them were carried out without any presidential permission.

“We wanted our President to look innocent and be as pure as Caesar’s wife,” said Johnson. “This helped America’s reputation abroad.”

While presidents were once ignorant about covert operations involving the Cold War, Patrice Lumumba’s murder, and Fidel Castro’s attempted assassinations, they are now informed of every covert action.

“By and large, covert operations have caused us more grief than it has good,” said Johnson.

It is startling how quickly the U.S. resorts to physical force and how much the government depends on military action.

With 73 military bases around the world, America spends more money on its defense department than ever other country combined.

This astonishing fact should cause Americans to pause and seriously consider Washington, D.C.’s motives and morals.

There is a blurry line between when the CIA should proceed with covert operation and when these actions are just simply immoral.

 “I think when it comes to terrorists, we need to unleash our covert actions,” said Johnson. “But it must be carefully focused and monitored by the White House.”

 While history continues to unfold with war at the forefront of America’s political agenda, it is necessary to realize that behind seemingly good intentions, there are secret plots, weapons and even murder.