Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
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April 14, 2013
We Ream Them As Best We Can

While the context of this statement is about “human rights” in Africa, it rings true as a general description of general U.S. foreign policy:

“The countries that cooperate with us get at least a free pass,” acknowledged a senior U.S. official who specializes in Africa but spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid retribution. “Whereas other countries that don’t cooperate, we ream them as best we can.”

Not remarkable in itself, but remarkable that someone admits it.

Posted by b on April 14, 2013 at 16:37 UTC | Permalink
Comments

Which is what struck me about US coverage of Venezuela. I’ve heard the words dictator and censorship bandied about, but I’ve yet to see newpapers go into specifics of Chavez’s offenses (or explain the reasons for Chavez’s antipathy, ie US support for the 2002 military coup attempt). More often the article just veers off into a criticism of his economic policies, his populism and why Venezuela is important to the US. A hint it’s black and it comes out of the ground.

Posted by: ajax151 | Apr 14 2013 16:58 utc | 1

You know, in the time it takes you to read the Washington Post, you could have done yourself a favor and smoked a couple of bowls. Why, just last week a commenter at Sadly, No! reported that he smoked ‘a considerable amount’ of medical marijuana and was “cured! Cured completely!” Can you afford to overlook dispositive evidence like that, and read the freakin Washington Post? I mean, it’s your life and all, but your best bet is still to leave no turn unstoned.

Posted by: Mooser | Apr 14 2013 17:06 utc | 2

‘Number one US target’: Oliver Stone calls media coverage of Venezuela ‘shameful’

““As a New Yorker and following the New York Times for a long time I am still stunned by how negative these articles have been for so long,” Stone added. “About some of the worst regimes in the world there has never been this amount of coverage. I doubt Adolf Hitler has gotten this much coverage in Germany. These lies and distortions are a shame on them, it’s a disgrace.”
“I would say that Venezuela is the number one target of the United States media and the State Department that exists today. The covert actions that are going on in Venezuela are very scary. I don’t want to be in Nicholas Maduro’s shoes. I’d hate to be him because he’s in a new spotlight,” the director continued.
“They can’t go after him personally but it’s a very scary position to inherit this gigantic power. I’m sure Castro felt the same thing many years ago. This is a tough moment for Venezuela and I hope the people stick together. This is not going away. Even if he wins the election I think the United States is going to be pouring on the heat in the coming months. You’re going to see reactions and more stories. Venezuela is very important to the US and all of Latin America.”

Posted by: yah . . . But | Apr 14 2013 19:23 utc | 3

US foreign policy was summed up by the late playwright Harold Pinter in one short sentence: “Kiss my arse or I’ll kick your head in.”

Posted by: Joe | Apr 14 2013 20:03 utc | 4

Speaking of Pinter…
American Football

Hallelujah!
It works.
We blew the shit out of them.
We blew the shit right back up their own ass
And out their fucking ears.
It works.
We blew the shit out of them.
They suffocated in their own shit!
Hallelujah.
Praise the Lord for all good things.
We blew them into fucking shit.
They are eating it.
Praise the Lord for all good things.
We blew their balls into shards of dust,
Into shards of fucking dust.
We did it.
Now I want you to come over here and kiss me on the mouth.

Pinter has been awarded the Wilfred Owen prize for poetry opposing the Iraq Conflict. Acceptance Speech: “What do Bush and Blair actually see when they look at themselves in the mirror?”

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Apr 14 2013 23:26 utc | 5

They just dropped the quote!

Posted by: john francis lee | Apr 15 2013 0:54 utc | 6

False alarm … I was looking at page 2.

Posted by: john francis lee | Apr 15 2013 0:57 utc | 7

“Whereas other countries that don’t cooperate, we ream them as best we can.”
This “cooperation” — complying with the US as world “leader” — is called “shaping the international system”–
The US National Security Strategy:

“Each of these steps will sustain America’s ability to lead in a world where economic power and individual opportunity are more diffuse. . .Building this stronger foundation will support America’s efforts to shape an international system that can meet the challenges of our time.”

contrasted with the recent BRICS declaration, which includes “cooperation” in its true meaning–

“. . .our shared goal to contribute positively to global peace, stability, development and cooperation. We also considered our role in the international system as based on an inclusive approach of shared solidarity and cooperation towards all nations and peoples.”

shaping vs. cooperation

Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 15 2013 2:27 utc | 8

“‘There’s pretty much been no change at all,’ the official said. ‘In the end, it was an almost seamless transition from Bush to Obama.'”
Man, you could just put that in the history books with the title: 2008-2016
Also – this popped up googling. From Freedom House, but interesting fact nonetheless:
“While slavery was criminalized in 2003 and banned in the 2010 constitution, an estimated 115,000 adults and children still live in conditions of forced labor… Niger remains a source, transit point, and destination for human trafficking.”

Posted by: guest | Apr 15 2013 7:07 utc | 9

diffuse individual opportunity vs. inclusive solidarity and cooperation
The United States ruling class may have beaten the rest of the world militarily and economically, but it couldn’t win ideologically. The same divide remains.

Posted by: guest | Apr 15 2013 7:20 utc | 10

I believe the motto was: “When you’ve got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow”. But we saw how well that worked in Vietnam…

Posted by: ralphieboy | Apr 15 2013 7:57 utc | 11

@Guest#10, Seamless, and in line with the agenda; so seamless in fact extrajudicial detention grew into extrajudicial execution (Bush/Obama) we almost missed it and drone War is all about ‘freedom acts’ as the concern in the West.
The root of the problem is ‘Economic’ in that regard the US is still waging it’s battles. Then you have the concern of alliances, they may be on board now, but down the road, it is an entirely different set of rules?
As is -Economic factors for the US, the Hispanic population is the highest growth, by 2015 nearly half of the population younger than the age of 25 will be non-white (45%). By 2015 the highest mean age and highest spenders will have declined as the baby boomers and millenials (also collectively known as the Digital Generation) will be the dominant spending force; both groups spending 1/3 less than the decade previous – spending power is GDP. One can clearly see the demise of ‘The Average American’, The iconic American family (married couple with children) will account for a mere 22% of households. The 2010 census shows that in the two largest states (California and Texas), as well as New Mexico and Hawaii, the nation’s traditional majority group (white) will be in the minority.
Given the above demographics and stat’s, it is clear that issues with Mexico is the US’s Achilles heel if it does not first address it’s continuous border and home grown risks. If an entity wanted to destabilize the US i.e. rupture the fabric of balance it could be doable by injecting funds and chaos into Mexico, over spilling the borders, with the youth bulge being Hispanic by 2015 the new wave of criminal elements would be in-house yet controlled externally.
In real terms the GDP is at a loss, in turn its debt increases and has a Youth bulge that is associated by its own N. American neighbor and greatest threat (True threat), now accounting for more deaths than the Syria Civil War (With external components) -Mexico; US should focus on the back door…

Posted by: Kev | Apr 15 2013 8:31 utc | 12

The quote could also be either kiss my ass or ill kick your ass.

Posted by: Fernando | Apr 15 2013 14:25 utc | 13

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