A Horrible Suspicion

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Clarissa

October 8, 2012

I’m enumerating the policies of the Sandinista government in Nicaragua for my class on Latin American conflicts:

•Nationalization of the Somoza riches;

•Land reform;

•Support for unions, improving working conditions;

•Improving housing conditions;

•Investment in education & a massive literacy drive (illiteracy goes down from 50% to 12%);

•Abolition of torture and the death penalty;

•Democratic freedoms;

•Equality for women

A student raises his hand.

“I have a horrible suspicion,” he says. “I have a feeling that you are about to tell us that the US did not support this government.”

“That’s an understatement,” scoffs a student who is our resident specialist on the CIA activities in the region.

“But why? Why?!?” the first student exclaims.

We didn’t have time to get to the Iran-Contras scandal during this lecture but I suspect that the student’s fears will come true.

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5 responses to “A Horrible Suspicion”

V

October 8, 2012

I have some doubts about Soviet-sponsored government was that much into democratic freedoms… but otherwise I had similar experiences, trying to explain things like that to the Americans. As I was not their teacher and otherwise not in a position of authority with respect to them, I could tell it out straight that the US always cared about the spheres of influence much more than in cared about any democracy…

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  October 8, 2012
  
  I’m letting them draw their own conclusions here. As we discuss one LatAm country after another, things become very clear.
  
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Rob F

October 8, 2012

How much of an effect did Hurricane Joan have on the Sandanistas losing power? I get the impression that that disaster certainly wasn’t beneficial for them (although other factors were important).

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NancyP

October 8, 2012

Now, the Nicaraguan government of ex-Sandinista Ortega has banned abortion in all forms in all instances, including treatment of tubal pregnancies. Several women have bled to death from ruptured tubal pregnancies.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  October 8, 2012
  
  Oh God, I didn’t know this. INCLUDING the cases of tubal pregnancies???? This is an incredible act of barbarity.
  
  Fuck these stupid fucks. Fucking animals.
  
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